Middle East latest: Ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon is set to begin at 4 am
Just in Time for the Holidays: Tesla Mezcal Re-Releases a Limited Edition Collaboration with Nosotros MezcalUK cannot stand idle With terrorism and the spread of international crime posing serious dangers after the collapse of dictator Bashar al-Assad’s barbaric regime in Syria, Britain cannot be an idle bystander. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy are aware of the risks which is why they are urging a transition in power without fresh bloodshed. When the HTS Islamist group at the heart of the overthrow is designated a terrorist organisation, the understandable fear is that Syria could be swapping one tyrant for another. The collapse of authority in Libya after Muammar Gaddafi’s 2011 assassination, which led to waves of refugees flocking across the Mediterranean to Europe, is a warning of what can happen in failing states. Britain’s direct influence is limited but hopefully by co-operating with allies we can play a role in helping Syria enter a happier era. Tackle this Football faces the biggest health challenge in the sport’s history as more former players blame headers for causing their brain injuries. The latest 75 legal cases are not just about responsibility and compensation but the very future of the sport. Many young children playing football now do not head the ball in training as a precaution and a decision may soon have to be taken on the adult game. Headers are an important part of the game but with evidence mounting that they are causing damage, players may one day find they are uninsurable. Football authorities must tackle an issue that won’t go away. Dan & dusted There are no flies on McFly’s Danny Jones after he beat Coleen Rooney to be crowned King of the Jungle. The second member of the band to win I’m a Celebrity, after Dougie Poynter in 2011, will be singing all the way home from Australia.
By Nicholas Tan Many world leaders have responded to the Trump tariffs that the president-elect says will be enacted on the first day of his administration . In several posts on social media, Donald Trump shares that he will impose through executive orders a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada as well as an additional 10% tariff on China. He positions these taxes as actions made against Mexico and Canada for not preventing enough illegal aliens from entering the US, and also blames them and China for the increase in fentanyl in the country. Here’s how Justin Trudeau , Claudia Sheinbaum, and China’s leaders have responded to these tariffs. China, Canada, and Mexico have reacted in different ways to Trump’s proposed tariffs. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he had a 10-minute call with Trump that was a “good conversation,” as reported by BBC . They discussed border security and trade, with Trudeau saying that the volume of migrants going through the Canadian border was much lower than than the Mexican border. Per The Guardian , he said that they “obviously talked a bout laying out the facts, talking about how the intense and effective connections between our two countries flow back and forth.” On Wednesday, he plans on meeting with the leaders of other Canadian provinces and territories to discuss how to deal with the new tariffs and border control. Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s president, says that she will warn Trump in a letter about the tariffs likely raising job losses and inflation in the US and Mexico. In a statement made at a press conference on Tuesday, via Reuters , she is concerned that tariffs will snowball: “To one tariff will follow another in response and so on, until we put our common businesses at risk.” Additionally, she will seek a phone call with Trump and send a letter to Trudeau. Considering that various U.S. carmaking plants for General Motors and Ford are based in the country, she added, “What sense is there?” On the subject of weapons and drugs, Sheinbaum said that “we do not produce weapons, we do not consume the synthetic drugs” and pointed out that people in her country “are being killed by crime that is responding to the demand in [the United States].” The response from China has been firmer. Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy, says that the country was already dealing with drug trafficking as part of a deal between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden. In a statement, he said their “progress made in US-related law enforcement operations against narcotics” shows that the country is not “knowingly allowing fentanyl precursors to flow into the United States.” A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry also warned the US that it should not “take China’s goodwill for granted” in its cooperation in counternarcotic operations. Nick Tan is a SEO Lead Writer for GameRevolution. Once upon a time, his parents took away his Super Nintendo as a punishment. He has sworn revenge ever since. Share article
WASHINGTON — The FBI should have done more to gather intelligence before the Capitol riot, according to a watchdog report Thursday that also said no undercover FBI employees were on the scene on Jan. 6, 2021, and that none of the bureau's informants was authorized to participate. The report from the Justice Department inspector general's office knocks down a fringe conspiracy theory advanced by some Republicans in Congress that the FBI played a role in instigating the events that day, when rioters determined to overturn Republican Donald Trump's 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden stormed the building in a violent clash with police. The review, released nearly four years after a dark chapter in history that shook the bedrock of American democracy, was narrow in scope, but aimed to shed light on gnawing questions that have dominated public discourse, including whether major intelligence failures preceded the riot and whether the FBI in some way provoked the violence. Rioters loyal to Donald Trump gather Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. The report offers a mixed assessment of the FBI's performance in the run-up to the riot, crediting the bureau for preparing for the possibility of violence and for trying to identify known "domestic terrorism subjects" who planned to come to Washington that day. But it said the FBI, in an action the now-deputy director described as a "basic step that was missed," failed to canvass informants across all 56 of its field offices for any relevant intelligence. That was a step, the report concluded, "that could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations in advance of January 6." The report found 26 FBI informants were in Washington for election-related protests on Jan. 6, including three who were tasked with traveling to the city to report on others who were potentially planning to attend the day's events. While four informants entered the Capitol, none were authorized to do so by the bureau or to break the law, the report said. Rioters storm the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Many of the 26 informants provided the FBI with information before the riot, but it "was no more specific than, and was consistent with, other sources of information" that the FBI acquired. The FBI said in a letter responding to the report that it accepts the inspection general's recommendation "regarding potential process improvements for future events." The lengthy review was launched days after the riot as the FBI faced questions over whether it had missed warning signs or adequately disseminated intelligence it received, including a Jan. 5, 2021, bulletin prepared by the FBI's Norfolk, Virginia, field office that warned of the potential for "war" at the Capitol. The inspector general found the information in that bulletin was broadly shared. FBI Director Chris Wray, who announced this week his plans to resign at the end of Biden's term in January, defended his agency's handing of the intelligence report. He told lawmakers in 2021 that the report was disseminated though the joint terrorism task force, discussed at a command post in Washington and posted on an internet portal available to other law enforcement agencies. "We did communicate that information in a timely fashion to the Capitol Police and (Metropolitan Police Department) in not one, not two, but three different ways," Wray said at the time. FBI Director Christopher Wray speaks March 11 during a hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Separately, the report said the FBI's New Orleans field office was told by a source between November 2020 and early January 2021 that protesters were planning to station a "quick reaction force" in northern Virginia "to be armed and prepared to respond to violence that day in DC, if necessary." That information was shared with the FBI's Washington Field Office, members of intelligence agencies and some federal law enforcement agencies the day before the riot, the inspector general found. But there was no indication the FBI told northern Virginia police about the information, the report said. An FBI official told the inspector general there was "nothing actionable or immediately concerning about it." A cache of weapons at a Virginia hotel as part of a "quick reaction force" was a central piece of the Justice Department's seditious conspiracy case against Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes and other members of the far-right extremist group. Trump supporters, including Douglas Jensen, center, confront U.S. Capitol Police on Jan. 6, 2021, in the hallway outside of the Senate chamber at the Capitol in Washington. The conspiracy theory that federal law enforcement officers entrapped members of the mob has been spread in conservative circles, including by some Republican lawmakers. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., recently suggested on a podcast that agents pretending to be Trump supporters were responsible for instigating the violence. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who withdrew as Trump's pick as attorney general amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations, sent a letter to Wray in 2021 asking how many undercover agents or informants were at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and if they were "merely passive informants or active instigators." Wray said the "notion that somehow the violence at the Capitol on January 6 was part of some operation orchestrated by FBI sources and agents is ludicrous." Rioters scale a wall at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Supporters loyal to then-President Donald Trump attend a rally on the Ellipse near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Trump supporters participate in a rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Trump supporters participate in a rally Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Then-President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives to speak at a rally in Washington, on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) People listen as then-President Donald Trump speaks during a rally Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Supporters of then-President Donald Trump try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) A supporter of then-President Donald Trump is injured during clashes with police at the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) A rioter pours water on herself at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) A Trump supporter holds a Bible as he gathers with others outside the Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) A demonstrator supporting then-President Donald Trump, is sprayed by police, Jan. 6, 2021, during a day of rioting at the Capitol.(AP Photo/John Minchillo) Rioters try to enter the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) U.S. Capitol Police try to hold back rioters outside the east doors to the House side of the U.S. Capitol, Jan 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Rioters gather outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Protesters gather outside the U.S. Capitol, Jan 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Jacob Anthony Chansley, center, with other insurrectionists who supported then-President Donald Trump, are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police in the hallway outside of the Senate chamber in the Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Chansley, was among the first group of insurrectionists who entered the hallway outside the Senate chamber. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) U.S. Capitol Police hold rioters at gun-point near the House Chamber inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Lawmakers evacuate the floor as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Police with guns drawn watch as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Congressmen shelter in the House gallery as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Members of Congress wear emergency gas masks as they are evacuated from the House gallery as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) The House gallery is empty after it was evacuated as rioters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., cleans up debris and personal belongings strewn across the floor of the Rotunda in the early morning hours of Jan. 7, 2021, after rioters stormed the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Members of the DC National Guard surround the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., read the final certification of Electoral College votes cast in November's presidential election during a joint session of Congress after working through the night, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, Pool) A flag hangs between broken windows after then-President Donald Trump supporters tried to break through police barriers outside the U.S. Capitol, Jan 6, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) A flag that reads "Treason" is visible on the ground in the early morning hours of Jan. 7, 2021, after rioters stormed the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) An ATF police officer cleans up debris and personal belongings strewn across the floor of the Rotunda in the early morning hours of Jan. 7, 2021, after rioters stormed the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Jonah Goldberg Among elites across the ideological spectrum, there's one point of unifying agreement: Americans are bitterly divided. What if that's wrong? What if elites are the ones who are bitterly divided while most Americans are fairly unified? History rarely lines up perfectly with the calendar (the "sixties" didn't really start until the decade was almost over). But politically, the 21st century neatly began in 2000, when the election ended in a tie and the color coding of electoral maps became enshrined as a kind of permanent tribal color war of "red vs. blue." Elite understanding of politics has been stuck in this framework ever since. Politicians and voters have leaned into this alleged political reality, making it seem all the more real in the process. I loathe the phrase "perception is reality," but in politics it has the reifying power of self-fulfilling prophecy. Like rival noble families in medieval Europe, elites have been vying for power and dominance on the arrogant assumption that their subjects share their concern for who rules rather than what the rulers can deliver. Political cartoonists from across country draw up something special for the holiday In 2018, the group More in Common published a massive report on the "hidden tribes" of American politics. The wealthiest and whitest groups were "devoted conservatives" (6%) and "progressive activists" (8%). These tribes dominate the media, the parties and higher education, and they dictate the competing narratives of red vs. blue, particularly on cable news and social media. Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of Americans resided in, or were adjacent to, the "exhausted majority." These people, however, "have no narrative," as David Brooks wrote at the time. "They have no coherent philosophic worldview to organize their thinking and compel action." Lacking a narrative might seem like a very postmodern problem, but in a postmodern elite culture, postmodern problems are real problems. It's worth noting that red vs. blue America didn't emerge ex nihilo. The 1990s were a time when the economy and government seemed to be working, at home and abroad. As a result, elites leaned into the narcissism of small differences to gain political and cultural advantage. They remain obsessed with competing, often apocalyptic, narratives. That leaves out most Americans. The gladiatorial combatants of cable news, editorial pages and academia, and their superfan spectators, can afford these fights. Members of the exhausted majority are more interested in mere competence. I think that's the hidden unity elites are missing. This is why we keep throwing incumbent parties out of power: They get elected promising competence but get derailed -- or seduced -- by fan service to, or trolling of, the elites who dominate the national conversation. There's a difference between competence and expertise. One of the most profound political changes in recent years has been the separation of notions of credentialed expertise from real-world competence. This isn't a new theme in American life, but the pandemic and the lurch toward identity politics amplified distrust of experts in unprecedented ways. This is a particular problem for the left because it is far more invested in credentialism than the right. Indeed, some progressives are suddenly realizing they invested too much in the authority of experts and too little in the ability of experts to provide what people want from government, such as affordable housing, decent education and low crime. The New York Times' Ezra Klein says he's tired of defending the authority of government institutions. Rather, "I want them to work." One of the reasons progressives find Trump so offensive is his absolute inability to speak the language of expertise -- which is full of coded elite shibboleths. But Trump veritably shouts the language of competence. I don't mean he is actually competent at governing. But he is effectively blunt about calling leaders, experts and elites -- of both parties -- stupid, ineffective, weak and incompetent. He lost in 2020 because voters didn't believe he was actually good at governing. He won in 2024 because the exhausted majority concluded the Biden administration was bad at it. Nostalgia for the low-inflation pre-pandemic economy was enough to convince voters that Trumpian drama is the tolerable price to pay for a good economy. About 3 out of 4 Americans who experienced "severe hardship" because of inflation voted for Trump. The genius of Trump's most effective ad -- "Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you" -- was that it was simultaneously culture-war red meat and an argument that Harris was more concerned about boutique elite concerns than everyday ones. If Trump can actually deliver competent government, he could make the Republican Party the majority party for a generation. For myriad reasons, that's an if so big it's visible from space. But the opportunity is there -- and has been there all along. Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch: thedispatch.com . Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!
KASPER Schmeichel’s importance to Celtic in the Champions League this season has been glaringly obvious to everyone who has seen them play. The vastly-experienced Danish internationalist has been outstanding for the Scottish champions in every one of their league phase games, even the mauling they suffered at the hands of Borussia Dortmund in Germany at the start of last month, and has produced numerous vital saves at key moments. Yet, the influence of the 111-times capped goalkeeper on the Parkhead club’s play going forward has perhaps not been so apparent to onlookers during their meetings with Slovan Bratislava, Borussia, Atalanta and RB Leipzig. Cameron Carter-Vickers, though, believes the former Manchester City, Leeds United and Leicester City man’s ability with the ball at his feet has been hugely significant for Celtic’s outfield players in their outings in Europe’s elite club competition during the past nine weeks as well. The centre-half, who is set to start alongside Auston Trusty in the heart of the hosts’ back line in their meeting with Club Brugge in the East End of Glasgow tonight, fully expects attack to start in defence once again tomorrow evening. Read more: Asked how he found playing in front of Schmeichel compared to his predecessor Joe Hart, he said: “They are different, two different people and two different characters off the pitch. “But on the pitch they are pretty similar, keepers who have played at top level throughout their careers and have a lot of experience. They are both very vocal on the pitch and commanding. So similar in that respect.” “I think Kasper has shown already this season he can make big saves when he needs to. He’s done that a number of times this season so far. There’s definitely that confidence that even if a team does get a chance there’s every chance of him stopping them. “But his distribution has been really good as well. It was probably one of the first things you noticed when he came in - how good he was with his feet. You see it game in game out. “Not just the ability to play the passes, but also to see them. That’s something he does really well, to see where the press is coming from and know where the outball is and how to get it there. “That is so important, especially at this level. The more time you can have with the ball, it limits the time they get on it and the chances they can create. That’s so important in the Champions League.” (Image: PA Wire via DPA) Carter-Vickers added: “It helps us work our way up the pitch in a comfortable way and it starts with Kasper. With top keepers now, it’s not just about playing passes, it’s the ability to see them. “The way Kasper does that is super-impressive. He might have two or three players running at him, but he gets the right angle and sees the right pass to play. He manages to do that most of the time.” Schmeichel spent last season playing in Belgium with Anderlecht and the Celtic vice-captain revealed that his team mate and midfielder Arne Engels had been giving all of the players tips about Brugge this week. They will not be underestimating opponents who have beaten Sturm Graz away and Aston Villa at home in Europe this term. “He mainly said that they are a really good team, with some good players and a really good press,” said the defender. “Kasper also said that they’re a hard working team. “In his experience of playing against them last year, he said they always found a way to win a game or stay in games. So we’re definitely prepared for tomorrow for a tough game. No matter how the game goes we’ll need to play well for 90 minutes to get a result. “Me and the team don’t look at it as us being favourites or not favourites. We know every game in this competition you’ve got to be right at it to get a result. So, tomorrow will be no different and we’re prepared for a tough game.” Rodgers has preferred Trusty to Liam Scales in recent weeks and Carter-Vickers has confidence that he and his fellow United States squad member will be able to contain rivals who thrashed STVV 7-0 in a league game at the Jan Breydel Stadium at the weekend. Read more: “The partnership is developing well,” he said. “I’ve always said defensive partnerships always take time. It’s the only way to learn how each of you moves on the pitch in certain situations. So far Auston has been so good. He’s definitely playing well and you can see the strength he has. “We haven’t played together for America, not for the first team. Maybe once or twice at U20 level but not for the senior team. Hopefully the USA coach is looking at us playing in the Champions League for Celtic and thinks we can do the same at international level. (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire) “But it’s something I don’t think about too much but all we both can do is perform well for Celtic. If the USA coach thinks like that, great. Auston has fitted into the group well. He’s got quite a big character, but the team as a whole is very welcoming.” Carter-Vickers hasn’t given much thought to how many points it will take for Celtic to book a place in the knockout phase play-offs either. He is simply focusing on the Club Brugge encounter. However, he did predict the strength and depth which is now in the squad will help their hopes of progressing. “We’ve got options in every position in the team at the moment,” he said. “Scalesy has been great this season and it’s unfortunate from his perspective. But that’s the competition we have in the squad now. It’s up to us all individually to perform and that will make the team better. “The competition is key for us going forward. When we make subs now, the players coming off the bench are always at the level straight away. That’s important in the Champions League. “In general, the level of training rises the more competition you’ve got in the squad. That keeps everyone at a consistently high level, which translates into the games.”
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