
The leader of Sinn Fein has expressed determination to form a government of the left in Ireland as she insisted her party’s performance in the General Election had broken the state’s political mould. Despite Mary Lou McDonald’s confidence around shaping a coalition without Fine Gael and Fianna Fail – the two parties that have dominated the landscape of Irish politics for a century – the pathway to government for Sinn Fein still appears challenging. With counting following Friday’s election still in the relatively early stages – after an exit poll that showed the main three parties effectively neck-and-neck – there is some way to go before the final picture emerges and the options for government formation crystalise. Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, has dismissed talk of a Sinn Fein surge and said he was “cautiously optimistic” about where his party will stand after all the votes are counted. Meanwhile, Ireland’s deputy premier and Fianna Fail leader, Micheal Martin, insisted his party has a “very clear route back to government” as he predicted seat gains. The counting process could last days because of Ireland’s complex system of proportional representation with a single transferable vote (PR-STV), where candidates are ranked by preference. The early indications have turned the focus to the tricky arithmetic of government formation, as the country’s several smaller parties and many independents potentially jockey for a place in government. Ms McDonald told reporters at the RDS count centre in Dublin that she would be “very, very actively pursuing” the potential to form a government with other parties on the left of the political spectrum. The smaller, left-leaning parties in Ireland include the Social Democrats, the Irish Labour Party, the Green Party and People Before Profit-Solidarity. Ms McDonald said her party had delivered an “incredible performance” in the election. “I think it’s fair to say that we have now confirmed that we have broken the political mould here in this state,” she said. “Two party politics is now gone. It’s consigned to the dustbin of history and that, in itself, is very significant.” She added: “I am looking to bring about a government of change, and I’m going to go and look at all formulations. “If you want my bottom line, the idea of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for another five years, in our strong opinion, is not a good outcome for Irish society. “Obviously, I want to talk to other parties of the left and those that we share very significant policy objectives with. So I’m going to do that first and just hear their mind, hear their thinking. But be very clear, we will be very, very actively pursuing entrance into government.” In Friday night’s exit poll, Sinn Fein was predicted to take 21.1% of first-preference votes, narrowly ahead of outgoing coalition partners Fine Gael and Fianna Fail at 21% and 19.5% respectively. Prior to the election, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael both ruled out entering government with Sinn Fein. Fine Gael leader Mr Harris rejected suggestions Sinn Fein had broken new ground. He told reporters in his count centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow: “Certainly we haven’t seen a Sinn Fein surge or anything like it. “I mean, it looks likely, on the figures that we’ve seen now, fewer people, many fewer people would have voted Sinn Fein in this election than the last one. “In fact, I think they’re down by around 5% and actually the parties, particularly the two parties, the two larger parties in government, are likely to receive significant support from the electorate. So definitely, politics in Ireland has gotten much more fragmented.” He said it was too early to tell what the next government would look like. “I think anybody who makes any suggestion about who is going to be the largest party or the construct of the next government, they’re a braver person than I am,” he said. “Our electoral system dictates that there’ll be many, many transfers that will go on for hours, if not days, before we know the final computations at all. “But what I am very confident about is that my party will have a very significant role to play in the years ahead, and I’m cautiously optimistic and excited.” Fianna Fail’s Mr Martin told reporters at a count centre in Cork he was confident that the numbers exist to form a government with parties that shared his political viewpoint. Mr Martin said it “remains to be seen” whether he would return to the role of Taoiseach – a position he held between 2020 and 2022 – but he expressed confidence his party would outperform the exit poll prediction. “It’s a bit too early yet to call the exact type of government that will be formed or the composition of the next government,” he said. “But I think there are, there will be a sufficiency of seats, it seems to me, that aligns with the core principles that I articulated at the outset of this campaign and throughout the campaign, around the pro-enterprise economy, around a positively pro-European position, a government that will strongly push for home ownership and around parties that are transparently democratic in how they conduct their affairs.” Asked if it would be in a coalition with Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Social Democrats, he said that would be “racing a bit too far ahead”. The final result may dictate that if Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are to return to government, they may need more than one junior partner, or potentially the buy-in of several independent TDs. Mr Martin said it was unclear how quickly a government can be formed, as he predicted his party would gain new seats. “It will be challenging. This is not easy,” he added. The junior partner in the outgoing government – the Green Party – looks set for a bruising set of results. Green leader Roderic O’Gorman is in a fight to hold onto his seat, as are a number of party colleagues, including Media Minister Catherine Martin. “It’s clear the Green Party has not had a good day,” he said. The early counting also suggested potential trouble for Fianna Fail in Wicklow, where the party’s only candidate in the constituency, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, is considered to have a battle ahead, with the risk of losing his seat. Meanwhile, there is significant focus on independent candidate Gerard Hutch who, on Saturday evening, was sitting in fourth place in the four-seat constituency of Dublin Central. Last spring, Mr Hutch was found not guilty by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of the murder of David Byrne, in one of the first deadly attacks of the Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud. Mr Byrne, 33, died after being shot six times at a crowded boxing weigh-in event at the Regency Hotel in February 2016. A Special Criminal Court judge described Mr Hutch, 61, as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation and said he had engaged in “serious criminal conduct”. The constituency will be closely watched as other hopefuls wait to see if transfers from eliminated candidates may eventually rule him out of contention. In the constituency of Louth, the much-criticised selection of John McGahon appeared not to have paid off for Fine Gael. The party’s campaign was beset by questioning over footage entering the public domain of the candidate engaged in a fight outside a pub in 2018. The Social Democrats have a strong chance of emerging as the largest of the smaller parties. The party’s leader, Holly Cairns, was already celebrating before a single vote was counted however, having announced the birth of her baby girl on polling day.Oregon man sentenced after threatening Helena MVD employee
Repealing no-fault divorce has so far stalled across the US. Some worry that'll change
CCAR_McKie 10 pass from Vasko (Hensley kick), 8:15. GAST_FG Rickman 28, 14:07. GAST_Brock 19 run (Rickman kick), 8:38. CCAR_Courtney 5 pass from Vasko (Hensley kick), 4:16. CCAR_FG Hensley 43, :01. CCAR_C.Washington 18 run (Hensley kick), 10:56. GAST_FG Rickman 30, 7:06. CCAR_McKie 31 pass from Vasko (Hensley kick), 2:44. GAST_Brock 1 run (pass failed), :25. CCAR_Vasko 10 run (Hensley kick), 9:50. CCAR_FG Hensley 23, 8:33. CCAR_Fletcher 39 interception return (Hensley kick), 7:13. GAST_Fleming 6 pass from Lowe (Hurst pass from Lowe), 4:36. RUSHING_Coastal Carolina, Washington 20-124, Vasko 13-68, Bennett 8-43, Price 5-26, Lloyd 3-10, Taylor 1-5, Duplessis 1-1, (Team) 2-(minus 2). Georgia St., Brock 14-71, Veilleux 11-62, Lowe 3-47, Dukes 2-11, Beasley 3-11. PASSING_Coastal Carolina, Vasko 13-17-1-200, (Team) 0-1-0-0, Duplessis 0-1-1-0, Kim 0-1-0-0. Georgia St., Veilleux 15-26-4-205, Lowe 2-6-0-21. RECEIVING_Coastal Carolina, McKie 5-81, Tucker 3-31, Karr 2-35, Duplessis 1-41, Berrong 1-7, Courtney 1-5. Georgia St., Hurst 8-131, Dukes 3-15, Riles 2-26, Fleming 2-18, Brock 1-21, Milton 1-15. MISSED FIELD GOALS_None.
Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Grows Position in Select Medical Holdings Co. (NYSE:SEM)Tánaiste Micheál Martin said it was obvious from the early General Election 2024 indications that there was "a very clear route back to Government" for Fianna Fáil. However, Mr Martin warned that it was far too early to predict precisely what Coalition partners might be involved as he paid tribute to the Green Party, who are facing serious electoral losses, for their contribution to the three-party Coalition in the 33rd Dáil. The Tánaiste refused to comment on whether the Social Democrats, who are set to make major Dáil gains, will be the obvious Coalition partners for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Mr Martin was speaking as he arrived at the Nemo Rangers GAA complex in Cork where the South Central and North Central counts are being handled. The former Taoiseach will be elected on the first count after securing a whopping 14,000-plus first preference votes. He secured almost one-in-four first preference votes in Cork South Central. "There is a very clear route back to Government, although it is not fully determined," he said. "Because a lot will depend on those final seats I have spoken about." "We know very little at the moment - just tallies. In the majority of cases these will be reasonably accurate but then you have to work out geography, work out eliminations, work out distribution of surpluses. "It will be many, many counts before we really are in a position to look at the destination of the final two seats in five seaters and, in cases, the final two seats in four seaters. "Geography will be particularly important on the transfer area. What I am basically saying is that it is too early to call the exact type of Government that will be formed, the composition of the next Government. "But I think there will be a sufficiency of seats that aligns with the core principles that I outlined at the beginning of the campaign around the pro-enterprise economy, around positively pro-European Union position and a Government that will strongly push for home ownership - around parties that are transparently democratic in their affairs." Mr Martin has repeatedly ruled out Sinn Féin as a Coalition partner because of their economic policies. He said the incoming Government will have challenges most especially in tackling Ireland's housing issue. "Also I acknowledge that there are many people out there who are suffering, who are under pressure notwithstanding the optics of the economy in terms of statistics (that it is) doing quite well. "Many people are feeling the pressure because of the cost of living issues - we still have unfinished business with housing, to be frank, we have a lot more houses to build. "That was a challenge in this election." Mr Martin warned against "racing too far ahead" in terms of speculating about the formation of the next Government before even a substantial number of TDs have even been returned. "I genuinely would have to caution that the final seats cannot be determined. I remember in 2020, late on the evening of the count we looked to be in a very good position for closing the deal on eight seats - but we didn't close any of them by the following day." Mr Martin admitted he was "very pleased" with Fianna Fáil's overall general election campaign - and repeated that he believed the party had fielded arguably its greatest selection of candidates ever. "You will understand my wariness of the final predictions as to the final destination of the seats." The Tánaiste said he had no idea how long it would take after the final counts to hammer out a Coalition deal. "It remains to be seen (formation of Government). There will have to be negotiating teams and I would like to think that the Dáil can do it (a Government agreement) than it did the last time." "This is not easy - whatever parties engage in the discussions...very detailed work will have to be done in terms of a Programme for Government." Mr Martin said opinion polls consistently underestimated Fianna Fail support. "There is an issue. I could’ve had a better evening last night if the polls had been a bit more accurate. The polls give Fianna Fáil heart attacks all the time. We should respect the process. "Believe me, there will be a lot of twists and turns before this is over. I’m going through the permutations myself at home in different constituencies. “I’m ringing a few candidates and you pick up the local knowledge. "Geography will play a part in this as well transfers. We will win new seats. New TDs will be elected. "And that is always positive for a political party, that there is new blood coming in as well and a fresh injection of young blood coming into the party. "And that is very positive. "With a few balances of the ball we could do quite well here, but I am very conscious here that a lot will depend on the transfers. "It is a very different environment now but it is has been a very strong effort on behalf of the volunteers across the length and breadth of the country. "I have been sustained by some great people around the country from 2011 onwards and there is a great belief in many of those whose families belong to the party historically, they didn’t give up and they believed in the founding fathers of the party, the values of the party. "Mary always says I’m at glass half full person but part of me feels we are only another 2% away from even better results. But it is very competitive." Mr Martin added that he wanted to specifically mention the Green Party. "I want to pay tribute to all those who served in the last Dail, and who may lose seats. "I think the Green Party made a very positive contribution to Government. I think some good constructive positive policies emerged from the last government. "I think the last government had to weather very significant external shocks from Covid. I think the long shadow of Covid is over this election too. "I will always remember Angela Merkel at the commencement of Covid saying she equated Covid to world war in terms of its long-term impact on politics and society and so on. "That probably hasn’t been analysed to the degree it should. But if you look at the cost-of-living crisis, it has its genesis within Covid. "If you look at healthcare where a lot of waiting lists dramatically because of the emergency that Covid was. And there were a lot of impacts on society from it. And we weathered it and we came through us and then we had the war in Ukraine. So the Greens to their credit, didn’t buckle over the 4.5 years. "Being in government can be difficult for any political party. It is to the credit of the Greens that they went into government. We had challenges, we had different priorities, but this government went full term and I think Ireland was for the better for it."
New York Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said Aaron Rodgers “absolutely” will remain the team's starting quarterback and start Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Rodgers, who turns 41 next Monday, has been hampered at times during the Jets' 3-8 start by various injuries to his left leg, including a sore knee, sprained ankle and balky hamstring. Ulbrich said Monday the quarterback came back from the team's bye-week break ready to go. “All I can say, and you'd have to ask Aaron if he's fully healthy, but he's better off today than he's been as of late,” Ulbrich said. "So he's definitely feeling healthier than he has probably for the past month. A healthy Aaron Rodgers is the Aaron Rodgers we all love. “So, I'm excited about what that looks like.” NFL Network reported on Sunday that Rodgers, who missed all but four snaps last season with a torn left Achilles tendon , has declined having medical scans on his injured leg so he can continue to play. “I have not been informed of that, either way,” Ulbrich said. Rodgers suffered what NFL Network reported was a “significant” hamstring injury against Denver in Week 4. He then sprained his left ankle against Minnesota in London a week later. The four-time MVP has not been able to consistently move around during games as he has in the past, when extending plays and making things happen on the run became such a big part of his game. Rodgers said leading into New York's 28-27 loss to Indianapolis last Sunday that it was the healthiest he felt in a while. But he struggled against the Colts, finishing 22 of 29 for 184 yards after a brutally slow start during which he went 9 of 13 for just 76 yards. The Athletic reported last week that owner Woody Johnson broached the idea during a meeting with the coaching staff of having the banged-up Rodgers sit after the Jets' loss to Denver in Week 4. With Rodgers' struggles and perhaps compromised health the past few games, a hot debate on social media and sports talk shows during the past week has been whether the quarterback should take a seat in favor of Tyrod Taylor. But when asked if there has been any talk of shutting down Rodgers, Ulbrich replied flatly: “There has not.” In a follow-up question, the interim coach was asked if Rodgers will, in fact, be the Jets' starting quarterback at home Sunday against the Seahawks. “Absolutely,” Ulbrich said. He added that he didn't feel the need to sit down with Rodgers and address all the reports and chatter outside the facility. “No, I feel like we are on the same page,” the coach said. Last week, Ulbrich said he and his staff would take “a deep dive” into what the team could do better after losing seven of its past eight and being on the verge of missing the postseason for the 14th consecutive year. Ulbrich opted not to make any changes to the coaching responsibilities of his staff and he will continue to run the defense as the coordinator. He also said there would not be any personnel changes coming out of the bye, barring injuries. “But definitely, we created a really clear vision of where we need to improve and found some things,” Ulbrich said. “Obviously, you find the things that you’re not doing well, you need to improve upon them, but then also found some some things that I think we can really build upon. So I was excited in both ways.” Johnson fired general manager Joe Douglas last Tuesday, six weeks after he also dismissed coach Robert Saleh. On Monday, the team announced it would be assisted by The 33rd Team , a football media, analytics and consulting group founded by former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, in its searches for a general manager and coach. Ulbrich insisted that isn't creating an awkward situation for him, in particular, as he and his staff focus on the present while the organization begins planning for the future. “In all honesty, it’s not at all,” Ulbrich said. “My singular focus is just finishing the season off the right way, playing a brand of football we’re all proud of, myself included. And that starts with Seattle.” LB C.J. Mosley said he's “progressing” in his return from a herniated disk in his neck, but is still uncertain about his availability for Sunday. Mosley said Monday was the first time he put on a helmet since the injury occurred during pregame warmups against New England on Oct. 27. ... Ulbrich said the team is still evaluating LT Tyron Smith, who missed the game against Indianapolis with a neck ailment. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflCharles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. ( NYSE:WPM – Free Report ) by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 955,540 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 36,970 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Wheaton Precious Metals were worth $58,422,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of WPM. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its stake in shares of Wheaton Precious Metals by 5.8% in the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 91,036 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,292,000 after acquiring an additional 5,009 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its position in Wheaton Precious Metals by 80.1% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 37,250 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,756,000 after purchasing an additional 16,570 shares during the period. Cetera Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Wheaton Precious Metals in the first quarter worth about $400,000. Confluence Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Wheaton Precious Metals by 2.6% during the second quarter. Confluence Investment Management LLC now owns 11,574 shares of the company’s stock valued at $607,000 after buying an additional 292 shares during the period. Finally, First Hawaiian Bank bought a new position in shares of Wheaton Precious Metals during the second quarter valued at approximately $229,000. 70.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group started coverage on Wheaton Precious Metals in a research note on Monday, November 18th. They set a “buy” rating and a $78.00 price target for the company. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Wheaton Precious Metals from $67.00 to $77.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 4th. Raymond James raised their price target on shares of Wheaton Precious Metals from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. TD Securities boosted their price objective on shares of Wheaton Precious Metals from $74.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Stifel Canada lowered shares of Wheaton Precious Metals from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $71.67. Wheaton Precious Metals Stock Performance NYSE WPM opened at $62.33 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $28.28 billion, a PE ratio of 46.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.77. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $62.99 and its 200-day moving average price is $59.32. Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. has a 52-week low of $38.57 and a 52-week high of $68.64. Wheaton Precious Metals ( NYSE:WPM – Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Friday, November 8th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.34. The business had revenue of $308.25 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $324.57 million. Wheaton Precious Metals had a return on equity of 8.85% and a net margin of 50.05%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.27 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. will post 1.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Wheaton Precious Metals Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 21st will be issued a $0.155 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 21st. This represents a $0.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.99%. Wheaton Precious Metals’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.27%. Wheaton Precious Metals Company Profile ( Free Report ) Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. primarily sells precious metals in North America, Europe, and South America. It produces and sells gold, silver, palladium, and cobalt deposits. The company was formerly known as Silver Wheaton Corp. and changed its name to Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. in May 2017. Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WPM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. ( NYSE:WPM – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Wheaton Precious Metals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wheaton Precious Metals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
West Ham United striker Michail Antonio has been involved in a car crash, the club has confirmed. The Premier League team has issued a statement after rumours begun to circulate on social media. It read: "West Ham United can confirm striker Michail Antonio has today been involved in a road traffic accident. "The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the Club are with Michail, his family and friends at this time. The Club will issue an update in due course." READ MORE: Mum falls to the floor and kids left in tears at Manchester Airport after TUI staff bo mbshell READ MORE: The Greater Manchester neighbourhood that has 'too many cafes' Pictures on social media showed a smashed up Ferrari, allegedly in the aftermath of the incident. It's not the first time the Jamaican international, 34, has been involved in a smash, after crashing his £210,000, Lamborghini into a front garden while dressed as a snowman on Christmas Day 2019. reports the Mirror. A year after that incident, he admitted he was paying £20,000 a year in insurance. West Ham have confirmed Michail Antonio has been involved in a car crash (Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images) "It was Christmas Day. Still to this day it has hurt me. I miss that car. Basically, I was driving but it was a slippery road," he said. "In the car it corners nicely and holds the road, so I was going 30-35mph on a 30mph road. As it holds corners I think I don't need to break, I'm just going to go round the corner like I do all the time. "But as I go round the corner, it skids. So as it skids, I s*** myself and I slam on the brakes - the worst thing you could do on ice as you just speed up when you're meant to just go with it kind of thing. Antonio in action for Jamaica (Image: Getty Images) "So I slam on the brakes, skid and go up on the curb - but I don't really remember it, everything just happened so fast. "Then smoke comes out of the front of the car, and the engine is in the back so I'm thinking 'the car is gonna blow up', even though it's just the airbags. "So I'm having to jump out of the passenger side of the tiny car. It's a madness. And the thing is, I was in a snowman costume as well. I don't get why I didn't take it off in there, sort it out." Antonio joined West Ham in 2015 and has scored 83 goals in 322 games for the club. He previously played for Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday, Colchester, Southampton, Cheltenham and Reading.Top war-crimes court issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and others in Israel-Hamas fighting
People imagine climate change is someone else's problem: 'Against The Tide' director Sarvnik Kaur