From Jan. 15 through Jan. 19, 2024, more than 60 world leaders will join hundreds of business executives and campaigners at the Swiss ski resort of Davos Monday for the five-day annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, where they will discuss some of the biggest global challenges. Critics say the summit is a meeting of the super-rich and that it fails to tackle growing global inequality. The issues on the Davos agenda appear daunting: in the immediate term, worsening conflicts in many parts of the world along with Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea; and wider threats including potentially catastrophic climate change, a weak global economy and fears over the adverse impacts of artificial intelligence. In its Global Risks Report 2024, published Wednesday, summit organizers highlighted misinformation and disinformation as the biggest short-term risk. “The potential impact on elections worldwide over the next two years is significant, and that could lead to elected governments’ legitimacy being put in question. And this, in turn, could, of course, threaten democratic processes that lead to further social polarization, riots, strikes, or even intra-state violence,” report co-author Carolina Klint of the risk consultancy Marsh McLennan, told a London press conference Wednesday. The report labeled extreme weather events and climate change as the top long-term risks over a 10-year time frame. "Yes, it’s a very gloomy outlook, but by no means is it a hard, fast, set prediction of the future,” Saadia Zahidi, the economic forum’s managing director said. “The future is very much in our hands. Yes, there are structural shifts under way but most of these things are very much in the hands of decision-makers across different stakeholders and that’s where the effort really needs to be,” she told reporters. The Davos summit takes place against the backdrop of two major wars, in Ukraine and Gaza. Among those due at the Alpine ski resort are Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres will attend, along with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron. Alongside the political leaders will be hundreds of the world’s most powerful chief executives, including the head of OpenAI, Sam Altman, and Microsoft’s chief executive officer, Satya Nadella. Critics say the wealth of the world’s super-rich has increased, while billions around the world have become poorer over the past decade – and Davos will do little to reverse that trend. “Across the world people are feeling extraordinary hardship. And at the same time there’s a few sprinting off at the very top into the distance. And some of them will be in Davos,” said Nabil Ahmed of aid agency Oxfam International. “It is, yes, a space for dialogue, for important discussions, even for holding political and business leaders to account. It’s why organizations like Oxfam take part. But it’s also not an international, democratic space in which transparent, accountable decisions are being made,” The summit organizers say it’s vital to bring together political and business leaders to find solutions to the world’s myriad challenges.
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Meet the new Frankenstein, same as the old one, just without the stripes, and with a lived-in feel that's as comfortable as well-worn denim. By ditching Ed’s signature stripes in favor of a single-color finish, the EVH Frankenstein Relic Series provides all of the vibe, tones and high-performance attributes of the Frankenstein guitar in a package that allows players to make their own visual and aural statements. Pros
Cons
The EVH Striped Series is pretty much the coolest thing going for guitarists who want to make a loud and proud statement about their appreciation for Eddie Van Halen and his influence. However, many players may prefer something a little less flashy and distracting-looking that still provides plenty of classic VH vibe. If that’s your jam, the new EVH Frankenstein Relic Series delivers the goods. The EVH Frankenstein Relic guitar is based upon the mid-’80s iteration of Ed’s iconic Frankenstein, but it features a single-color finish (red, white or black) and offers a few modern modifications, like a compound-radius fretboard and EVH Floyd Rose with D-Tuna, perfect for guitarists who want the aggressive tones and rat rod appeal of Ed’s original axe, expertly combined with high-performance playability. The EVH Frankenstein Relic features a familiar Strat-style asymmetrical double cutaway body that’s made from basswood to optimize resonance and keep the overall weight around an average of seven comfortable pounds. The bolt-on neck is quartersawn maple with a separate maple cap fingerboard (so there’s no skunk stripe), both finished with Heavy Relic lacquer that seals and protects the wood. The neck finish and simulated dirt/wear on our test example had a warm, mocha latte brown color that resembled roasted maple. The body finish is gloss lacquer that is subjected to moderate relic aging around the edges and common wear areas like the forearm contour and rear “belt buckle” section. Appropriate for its rat rod design, the guitar has a high-power engine: an EVH Wolfgang humbucker in the bridge position, with the pickup measuring 14.3k ohms resistance. The neck position single-coil pickup and selector switch in the middle pickup cavity are only there for show, just like they are on Ed’s Frankenstein (however, that pickup and selector switch are functional – they’re just not wired in, but can be). The humbucker pickup is direct wired to a volume pot (with a skirted “Tone” knob) and mounted directly to the body (there are no mounting ring or height adjustment screws), and that’s it. The Wolfgang humbucker’s tone is surprisingly brilliant and almost Strat-like, with a distinct upper midrange bite and snappy attack that remain consistently lively even as the volume knob is backed down for clean tones. The bass has plenty of heft for heavy distorted rhythms and riffs. The single bridge humbucker/volume knob-only setup is not the most versatile configuration on its own, but its rich harmonic content provides a solid base for sculpting a much wider variety of sounds with amp settings, a wah pedal and/or a programmable EQ. With 22 jumbo frets, a 12-16-inch compound radius fretboard, slim modified “C” profile, 1.69-inch nut width and easily accessible heel-mounted truss rod adjustment wheel, the neck is built for speed and precise, comfortable playability. The raw wood-like feel of the Heavy Relic lacquer finish provides an ideal balance between smoothness and resistance to facilitate gliding up and down the neck and stopping precisely where the player desires.
US and UK forces have carried out air strikes against Houthi rebel targets in Yemen, the BBC reports. US President Joe Biden says the strikes are in response to attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis on ships in the Red Sea since November.
The Houthis control much of Yemen and say they are supporting ally Hamas by targeting shipping headed to Israel. The Houthis’ deputy foreign minister warns US and UK will “pay a heavy price” for this “blatant aggression” Royal Air Force warplanes helped carry out the “targeted strikes” against military facilities, says UK PM. PM Rishi Sunak adds that the strikes are “limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defenses.” The Netherlands, Australia, Canada and Bahrain provided support as part of the mission, says Biden. Strikes are reported in the capital Sanaa, the Houthi Red Sea port of Hudaydah, Dhamar and north-western Houthi stronghold of Saada. Iran’s foreign ministry has condemned the strikes on Yemen as a “clear violation of Yemen’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” and a violation of international laws. The attacks “will have no result other than fuelling insecurity and instability in the region”, the ministry’s spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a post on the ministry’s Telegram group. Meanwhile the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah also condemned the strikes on Yemen. “The American aggression confirms once again that the US is a full partner in the tragedies and massacres committed by the Zionist enemy in Gaza and the region”, said the Iran-backed group, Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has announced his departure from the 2024 presidential race, acknowledging he lacks a path to victory. The candidate is among several Republicans vocally critical of former President Donald Trump.
Speaking to supporters in New Hampshire on Wednesday, less than two weeks before the state’s Republican primary kicks off, Christie said dropping out was “the right thing for me to do,” but vowed to never “enable Donald Trump... to ever be president of the United States again.” “It is clear to me tonight that there isn’t a path for me to win the nomination, which is why I’m suspending my campaign tonight for president of the United States,” the former governor added. The decision follows underwhelming poll numbers for the Republican hopeful as voters prepare for the first round of the 2024 contest. A new CNN survey conducted alongside the University of New Hampshire showed that Christie was trailing far behind in the swing state, earning just 12% of the vote. GOP frontrunner Trump, meanwhile, continues to lead the pack with 39%, with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley taking 32% in the poll. Before announcing he would step out of the race at the event in New Hampshire, Christie was heard slamming his Republican rivals on a hot microphone, saying that Haley would “get smoked” in the race and was “not up to this.” He also named Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who he said had called him “petrified,” though the audio was cut before he could finish. The Christie campaign has declined to comment on the incident. Christie’s White House bid was largely centered around criticism of Trump, who Christie had previously supported during the 2016 election cycle. In an attack ad released last week, the former governor acknowledged that was a “mistake,” arguing he only endorsed Trump “because I thought I could make him a better candidate and a better president.” In his remarks on Wednesday, the outgoing candidate took a parting shot at Trump, saying he was an “angry” person and would “[put] himself before the people of this country.” Christie added that he had no plans to endorse any other Republican running. Cryptocurrencies facilitate illegal activities such as money laundering, according to JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, who has insisted that digital assets should be banned.
Dimon once again attacked the top cryptocurrency this week, calling Bitcoin “worthless” and saying he still isn’t buying into the hype surrounding the crypto. “I've always said that Bitcoin doesn't have value,” the Wall Street heavyweight told Fox Business Network on Tuesday. “The actual use cases are sex trafficking, tax avoidance, money laundering, terrorism financing. It's not just people buying and selling Bitcoin,” he claimed. Dimon and several other industry chiefs, including Bank of America’s Brian Moynihan, have said the crypto market must follow the same anti-money-laundering rules as traditional financial institutions. A series of fake tweets from the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s X account this week about the much-awaited Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) approval decision sent the price of the crypto soaring above $47,000. It later fell as low as $45,400 after the tweets turned out to be fake. The crypto industry has suffered a slew of scandals recently, starting with the collapse of the FTX crypto exchange in November 2022. This placed the sector under intense scrutiny from US lawmakers and resulted in the conviction of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. In November 2023, another major crypto exchange, Binance, was fined $4.3 billion for various violations, ranging from money laundering to bank fraud. Glenn Hughes, often hailed as "The Voice of Rock," has left an indelible mark on the world of music through his remarkable career spanning several decades.
Not only has he achieved acclaim for his powerful and versatile voice, but Hughes has also navigated the tumultuous waters of a private life that has shaped his artistic journey. This essay delves into the multifaceted life of Glenn Hughes, exploring both his private struggles and his influential musical career. Glenn Hughes was born on August 21, 1951, in Cannock, Staffordshire, England. His early life was marked by a passion for music, leading him to pursue a career in the industry. However, like many artists, Hughes faced personal challenges that influenced both his personal and professional life. Substance abuse issues haunted him during the 1970s and 1980s, threatening to overshadow his musical prowess. Despite these struggles, Hughes emerged from the depths of addiction, embracing sobriety and using his experiences to advocate for recovery. His personal journey serves as a testament to resilience and the transformative power of overcoming adversity. Hughes has openly shared his struggles, contributing to a broader conversation about mental health and addiction within the music industry. Glenn Hughes first gained prominence as the bassist and vocalist for the rock band Trapeze in the early 1970s. However, it was his association with Deep Purple in 1973 that catapulted him to international fame. As part of Deep Purple, Hughes' soulful and dynamic voice added a new dimension to the band's sound, contributing to iconic albums like "Burn" and "Stormbringer." Hughes' collaboration with other legendary musicians, including Tony Iommi in the band Hughes/Thrall and Joe Bonamassa in the supergroup Black Country Communion, showcased his versatility across various genres. His solo career, characterized by a blend of rock, funk, and soul, further solidified his reputation as a genre-defying artist. The diversity of Hughes' musical endeavors reflects his willingness to explore new territories and push the boundaries of conventional rock. His solo albums, such as "Resonate" and "First Underground Nuclear Kitchen," showcase not only his vocal prowess but also his songwriting abilities and musical innovation. Glenn Hughes' enduring legacy extends beyond his contributions to iconic bands and solo projects. His commitment to sobriety and mental health advocacy has inspired many within and outside the music industry. Hughes has become a beacon of hope for those facing personal challenges, emphasizing the importance of seeking help and fostering a supportive community. Glenn Hughes' private life and musical career are intertwined in a complex tapestry of triumphs and tribulations. From battling addiction to achieving musical greatness, Hughes exemplifies the transformative power of resilience. His enduring impact on the rock genre, coupled with his advocacy for mental health, cements Glenn Hughes as a true icon in the world of music. The Brics grouping has long been distinguished by a consistent failure to live up to potential. The internal contradictions are crippling:
Divergent interests between members make it difficult to develop any shared policies. Brazil, Russia and South Africa are commodity exporters; India and China are importers. Brazil, India and South Africa are democracies; Russia and China only pretend to be. And India and China, as everyone knows, don’t exactly see eye to eye on anything. This year, the bloc has decided to take the bold step of enhancing those internal divisions manifold by admitting five new members: Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. It was supposed to be six; but Argentina’s new president declared, in his usual restrained manner, that he had no intention of “allying with communists” and so won’t get a second Latin American member. Brics made up for that by admitting four members from that tranquil zone of stability and co-operation, the Middle East, and a fifth, Ethiopia, that’s barely a year out of a devastating civil war. More importantly, while the Emiratis and the Saudis are partners, and Riyadh appears happy to give the regime in Cairo billions to stay friendly, Iran and Saudi Arabia have spent the past decade or so struggling for influence in the region. Iran backs the Houthi rebels in Yemen, for example, against whom Saudi Arabia has fought a long and ineffectual war. And there is anger in Ethiopia over the government’s silence on the years of abuse (and, allegedly, “mass killings”) that human rights groups say Saudi border guards have inflicted on Ethiopian migrants. Far from papering over existing cracks in the Brics grouping, the the addition of new members has just increased the number of disputes. It may be hard to see how a group that has always struggled to get much done will be able to create anything substantive if they don’t even like each other. Still, with the addition of the new members, there are a couple of domains that bear watching. There’s a chance that, in these very specific fields, Brics + might prove to be unusually effective. One is infrastructure finance. The only real institution it has managed to build is the Shanghai-based New Development Bank. The “Brics bank,” which is currently led by former Brazilian president Dilma Roussef, has a mandate to lend to infrastructure projects that the rest of the multilateral architecture ignores. One of the few things the existing Brics members do agree on is that emerging economies need more project finance. Plus, they want that cash disbursed according to norms designed locally, not in the West. Of the two Beijing-backed financial institutions, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is better capitalized and has been a more effective lender than the NDB. That may be because the AIIB picked up several Western partners with deeper pockets than China’s Brics peers, as well as partners with legacy, Western-led multilateral development banks. The NDB, meanwhile, has not always managed to offer competitive rates to possible borrowers. The very makeup of this alliance can work against its in-house bank. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it struggled to comply with the West’s various financial sanctions on one of its founding members. Shortly thereafter, Fitch downgraded it from AA+ to AA. (AIIB, in comparison, is rated AAA by the same agency.) The NDB’s management hopes that the addition of Saudi Arabia and the UAE prefigures an infusion of capital from the petrostates’ ample treasuries. The NDB can help with another thing that Iran, Russia, Brazil, the Saudis, and multiple other members of Brics + have in common: a dislike of the dollar. Forget all the “de-dollarization” talk — as anyone buying oil from Russia or Iran can confirm, we’re still very distant from a world in which trading nations can avoid dealing in dollars. But one thing the NDB does well is creating long-term loans denominated in the developing world’s own currencies. Almost a quarter of its loans are in the local-currency format that these governments far prefer. They aren’t a threat to dollar dominance. But they are a first step towards creating separate, smaller pipelines of cash that aren’t subject to, say, US sanctions. For the current Brics president, that’s a big priority. The Russian Federation took over leadership on Jan. 1, and we should expect Moscow’s priorities to dominate the expanded grouping’s initial agenda. Russia buys drones from Iran, collaborates with the Saudis on oil prices, and is building a nuclear reactor that will provide 10% of Egypt’s power. Brics ’s doubling in size won’t make it a more coherent threat to the West. It might, however, reduce the West’s leverage over countries like Russia or Iran. And, with wars blazing in both Gaza and Ukraine, that’s no small thing. Israel’s military has said it will transition to a less intensive phase in its war against Hamas, suggesting it will rely on more surgical missions following months of heavy fighting in the Palestinian enclave.
The chief spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, announced the change on Monday, telling the New York Times that smaller groups of soldiers will carry out more one-off raids, as opposed to the wide-scale maneuvers seen in the earlier stages of the war. “The war shifted a stage,” Hagari told the NYT, adding, “the transition will be with no ceremony. It’s not about dramatic announcements.” Though IDF operations previously focused on Gaza’s north, they will continue to move south, around cities such as Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, the admiral said. He noted that he expects additional humanitarian aid to enter the besieged territory, where rights groups and international organizations, including the UN, have warned of grave shortages in essential goods such as food, fuel, and medicine. During a regular press conference later on Monday, Hagari elaborated that though there were still “terror operatives and weapons” in northern Gaza, they did not “function within an organized military framework and now we operate there in [a different] way, and with a different mix of forces.” According to unnamed US officials cited by the New York Times, Israel has slashed the number of troops in northern Gaza by more than half of the 50,000 previously stationed there. Other administration staffers also told the paper that the transition period should end by late January, citing private discussions between American and Israeli officials. Israel’s defense chief, Yoav Gallant, made a similar announcement, telling the Wall Street Journal on Sunday that the IDF would shift from the “intense maneuvering phase of the war” to “different types of special operations.” However, he later clarified that the change would happen soon, and had not already taken place. “We need to take into consideration the huge number of civilians,” Gallant told the Journal, adding that that change would “take some time” to implement. The latest conflict in Gaza erupted following Hamas’ deadly October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and saw at least 240 captured by Palestinian militants. The IDF responded with months of heavy airstrikes and a major ground incursion, leaving much of the enclave in ruins and killing more than 23,000 people, according to local health officials. An estimated 2 million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes due to the fighting. The windchill can make it feel like between -12 and -15 degrees Celsius in the east and southeast of the Netherlands this morning. The meteorological institute KNMI issued a code yellow warning, urging people to take extra care to avoid hypothermia and cold injuries.“In the wind, it can feel a lot colder than outside the wind,” the institute said.
The code yellow warning applies to Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Gelderland, and Overijssel until at least 10:00 a.m. After that, ambient temperatures should rise, the KNMI said. At -15 degrees, you risk hypothermia even in proper winter clothing. The meteorological institute advised locals to wear enough layers if they have to go outside this morning, and make sure their skin is covered. Stay out of the wind as much as possible. Tuesday will be dry, sunny, and icy cold. Maximums will hover around freezing in most of the Netherlands. Only the Wadden area may see thermometers climb slightly higher. The wind comes from the east and is moderate inland and strong along the coast and IJsselmeer. The icy weather will continue on Wednesday. From Thursday, cloud cover will increase, and with it, the temperatures. German farmers have begun a week of nationwide demonstrations, blocking roads with tractors in protest against government plans to phase out agricultural subsidies.
As Joachim Rukwied, president of the German Farmers’ Association (DBV), put it last month, ‘We will be present everywhere in a way the country has never seen before’. And the farmers are not alone. Lorry drivers, hauliers and tradespeople have also joined in the protests. The current wave of unrest was prompted back in December. The German government announced plans to abolish tax breaks on agricultural diesel and introduce new taxes on farm vehicles – a move which would cost farmers on average €4,000 per year. The swift and organised response of the farmers has already frightened the government. On 4 January, it tried to backtrack by announcing that subsidies for new farm vehicles would remain, and that the tax breaks on diesel would be phased out gradually over the course of the next few years, rather than suddenly this year. But these moves have not assuaged farmers’ anger. They insist that the ‘future viability of our industry’ is at stake. And so, as Rukwied put it last week, farmers ‘remain committed’ to the ‘week of action’. It was naïve of the government to believe that its half-hearted compromise would ever appease the farmers. This conflict goes much deeper than a fight over taxes and subsidies. It is about farmers’ long-standing resentment of the green agenda that has been pursued by successive governments. This agenda now threatens the very future of German agriculture. Indeed, the farmers first engaged in mass protest back in 2019, after Angela Merkel’s government demanded a 20 per cent reduction in the use of fertilisers and pesticides as part of its ‘agriculture reform package’. Merkel’s successors have only increased the pressure on farmers. Plans to further reduce fertiliser and pesticide use were announced last summer, with the government keen to meet the EU’s strict directives on nitrates. At the same time, the government announced it planned to tighten animal-husbandry regulations, entangling farmers in even more red tape and paperwork. It is no exaggeration to say that the future of farming is at stake. In the space of just two decades, countless farms have already had to close. The number of farms in Germany during this period has almost halved – from nearly 450,000 in 2001 to 256,000 in 2022. Environmental restrictions and soaring energy costs haven’t just affected smaller farms, either. Bigger farms have also felt the squeeze. To make matters worse, the prices of fertilisers and pesticides have risen sharply, as the German chemical industry has cut back production due to high energy prices. Thanks to the government’s embrace of the green agenda, it is incapable of addressing farmers’ concerns. Over and over again, it pursues Net Zero objectives that are directly at odds with the interests of farmers. And just to rub salt into farmers’ wounds, Germany’s agriculture minister, Cem Özdemir, is a militant vegetarian. ‘If we all eat less meat together, we can all do our bit for the planet’, he told a TV talkshow last year. No wonder farmers have lost all trust in the government. Instead of addressing problems afflicting the agricultural sector, the government, backed by the green-leaning media, has tried to discredit the protesting farmers. It is regularly claimed that the strikes are being exploited by populists and the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD). But is it?
According to the report, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were bearing the brunt of the closures in 2023. Businesses, employing up to 250 people, accounted for vast majority of the total, with 55,435 closures. Meanwhile, medium and large firms with over 250 employees, also saw an increase in closures, the regulator noted, adding that their numbers reached 57, doubling from 2022. The negative trend became the most notable in the restaurant and hotel business, where the number of busts surged 44.6% year-on-year, while the sector of information and communication technologies saw an increase of 44.4%. The country’s agricultural sector was the only one recording a drop of 1.3% in the number of bankruptcy filings.
In December, the Financial Times reported that the number of corporate bankruptcies across the world exceeded levels reached during the 2008 global financial crisis. Analysts attribute the surge to higher key rates, as well as self-liquidation of so-called ‘zombie firms,’ which had pulled through the Covid era only thanks to government support. Red Bull and Helmut Marko have reportedly come to an agreement over the conclusion of his Red Bull contract.
Marko's future had been uncertain with the world champions and there was speculation that he was on the cusp of reducing his role or even cutting his ties with them at the conclusion of his contract in 2023. But towards the end of December, Marko revealed he would stay with the team through the 2024 campaign - attending all 24 races for the season under a new deal. It put an end to speculation over his future but now reports of more details of his tenure with the team have been unveiled.According to the Mirror, Red Bull and Marko have agreed a new three-year deal meaning he will be staying with the team until he is at least 83.The report adds that Marko will continue to work as a key adviser to team principal Christian Horner.Given Marko is not an official employee of the racing team, his salary will not count towards the team's budget cap.Marko's extension at the team could be good news for the likes of Lawson, who he remains keen to promote to an F1 seat in the near future after starring as a stand-in for Daniel Ricciardo last term. Marko revealed that despite his advancing years, he has no intention of slowing down despite teams facing what could be a taxing record 24-race season. "My future has been clarified in a positive sense," he told OE24. "Everything will proceed as planned. What if I do all 24 races? Yes, and it won't be stressful for me. "If I said to myself that this is a crazy schedule, it would be difficult. "The reality is I tell myself that Australia is beautiful and I can't wait to be in Melbourne. "I will continue my work for Red Bull Racing from 11am on Friday morning to Sunday evening. I cannot wait." According to the outlet, a spokesperson for France’s second biggest grocery has chain confirmed that it will place a note on shelves that have displayed PepsiCo goods which reads “We are no longer selling this brand due to unacceptable price increases.” It is unclear whether PepsiCo products already on Carrefour shelves will be withdrawn, the report added. In October, PepsiCo warned of “modest” price hikes in the new year amid steady demand. The US snacking and beverage giant has raised prices for seven consecutive quarters, hiking them by double digits in the July-September period last year. The company also reduced package sizes of some of its products claiming the aim was “to meet consumer demand for convenience and portion control.”
Last year, amid high consumer inflation, grocery retailers in several EU countries challenged global food giants over prices. Carrefour started a “shrinkflation” campaign in September, sticking warnings on goods that have shrunk in size but cost more. Negotiations are underway in France between food manufacturers and retailers, with the latter demanding price cuts, as they say prices for raw materials and energy have recently come down. Food industry representatives argue that production costs remain high and that manufacturers have absorbed significant inflationary shocks. Former US President Donald Trump has begun a court fight to get himself back on this year’s election ballot in Maine, arguing in a legal filing that a state official had no authority to disqualify him from the race.
Trump’s lawyers filed the appeal on Tuesday in Maine Superior Court, challenging last week’s decision by Secretary of State Shenna Bellows to bar the ex-president from the ballot because of his alleged role in the January 2021 US Capitol riot. The case is likely to ultimately be decided by the US Supreme Court, along with Trump’s disqualification from the ballot in Colorado, but Maine has required him to begin his challenge in the state court system. The ruling making Trump ineligible in Maine “was the product of a process infected by bias and pervasive lack of due process,” Trump’s lawyers said in Tuesday’s filing. They added that Bellows has a documented history of being biased against Trump and gave him no opportunity to defend himself against her allegations. he Maine and Colorado disqualifications were based on interpretations of a constitutional amendment that banned people who engage in an “insurrection or rebellion” from holding public office in the US. The amendment was passed by lawmakers in 1866 to ensure citizenship and constitutional rights for former slaves and to block politicians who had taken part in the Confederate rebellion from returning to power.Bellows and other Democrats have accused Trump of inciting the Capitol “insurrection,” where demonstrators sought to block the transfer of power after he lost to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. She has made public statements on social media calling Trump an “insurrectionist” and suggesting that he should have been removed from office after being impeached for his alleged role in the riot. Trump has repeatedly claimed that the election was rigged, but has denied any role in triggering the riot. Trump is polling as, far and away, the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. However, his candidacy has been jeopardized by state efforts to disqualify him, as well as felony indictments in four separate criminal cases. He has called the legal actions a politically motivated “witch hunt” to block voters from being able to elect him again. |
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