The USS Zumwalt is at a Mississippi shipyard where workers have installed missile tubes that replace twin turrets from a gun system that was never activated because it was too expensive. Once the system is complete, the Zumwalt will provide a platform for conducting fast, precision strikes from greater distances, adding to the usefulness of the warship. “It was a costly blunder. But the Navy could take victory from the jaws of defeat here, and get some utility out of (the ships) by making them into a hypersonic platform,” said Bryan Clark, a defence analyst at the Hudson Institute. The US has had several types of hypersonic weapons in development for the past two decades, but recent tests by both Russia and China have added pressure to the US military to hasten their production. Hypersonic weapons travel beyond Mach 5, five times the speed of sound, with added manoeuvrability making them harder to shoot down. Last year, The Washington Post newspaper reported that among the documents leaked by former Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira was a defence department briefing that confirmed China had recently tested an intermediate-range hypersonic weapon called the DF-27. While the Pentagon had previously acknowledged the weapon’s development, it had not recognised its testing. One of the US programmes in development and planned for the Zumwalt is the Conventional Prompt Strike. It would launch like a ballistic missile and then release a hypersonic glide vehicle that would travel at speeds seven to eight times faster than the speed of sound before hitting the target. The weapon system is being developed jointly by the Navy and Army. Each of the three Zumwalt-class destroyers would be equipped with four missile tubes, each with three of the missiles for a total of 12 hypersonic weapons per ship. In choosing the Zumwalt, the Navy is attempting to add to the usefulness of a 7.5 billion US dollars (£5.9 billion) warship that is considered by critics to be an expensive mistake despite serving as a test platform for multiple innovations. The Zumwalt was envisioned as providing land-attack capability with an advanced gun system with rocket-assisted projectiles to open the way for Marines to charge ashore. But the system featuring 155mm guns hidden in stealthy turrets was cancelled because each of the rocket-assisted projectiles cost up to one million dollars (£790,000). Despite the stain on their reputation, the three Zumwalt-class destroyers: Zumwalt, Michael Monsoor and Lyndon B Johnson; remain the Navy’s most advanced surface warships in terms of new technologies. Those innovations include electric propulsion, an angular shape to minimise radar signature, an unconventional wave-piercing hull, automated fire and damage control and a composite deckhouse that hides radar and other sensors. The US is accelerating development because hypersonics have been identified as vital to US national security with “survivable and lethal capabilities”, said James Weber, principal director for hypersonics in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies. “Fielding new capabilities that are based on hypersonic technologies is a priority for the defence department to sustain and strengthen our integrated deterrence, and to build enduring advantages,” he said.Tras el asesinato del CEO de UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, ha surgido un fenómeno cultural inesperado. Luigi Mangione, el acusado de 26 años del tiroteo fatal del 4 de diciembre en Nueva York, se ha convertido en el tema de varias baladas regionales mexicanas publicadas en Internet. En los últimos años, la música regional mexicana — que incluye corridos, norteño, mariachi y más — ha experimentado un resurgimiento global sin precedentes, particularmente con la aparición de los corridos tumbados a principios de 2019, iniciados por Natanael Cano. Este género fue posteriormente popularizado por artistas como Fuerza Regida, Junior H y Peso Pluma. El estilo se difundió rápidamente a través de internet en plataformas como SoundCloud y TikTok, y para finales de ese año, había impactado en las listas de Billboard y sigue haciéndolo. Ahora, ha surgido un movimiento nuevo canciones en varias plataformas, buscando posicionar a Mangione dentro de la tradición de los corridos. Este estilo de corridos — históricamente utilizados para narrar historias sobre revolucionarios y rebeldes que se remontan a la Revolución Mexicana de 1910 — ahora presentan al acusado de asesinar al CEO del seguro médico como una figura compleja atrapada entre la villanía y el vigilantismo. Esta representación musical está encendiendo debates sobre la justicia, la ética corporativa y la creación de antihéroes modernos en un contexto de profunda discordia social. Pese a ser un país desarrollado, Estados Unidos sigue enfrentándose a disparidades en el acceso y la asequibilidad de la atención sanitaria. A pesar de contar con tecnologías y tratamientos médicos de vanguardia, la gente se enfrenta a menudo a costes prohibitivos y a una cobertura inadecuada. Esta paradoja ha alimentado un discurso nacional sobre la injusticia sanitaria y los intentos de reformar el sistema de salud, en el que algunos simpatizan y/o glorifican al asesino acusado, que se enfrenta a cargos federales de asesinato y acoso . Por otra parte, el fiscal del distrito de Manhattan, además de múltiples cargos de asesinato, también acusó a Mangione de asesinato como acto de terrorismo; éste se ha declarado inocente de los cargos estatales. Si es declarado culpable de los cargos federales, Mangione podría enfrentarse a la pena de muerte, mientras que los cargos estatales podrían significar un máximo de cadena perpetua sin posibilidad de libertad condicional. El domingo (22 de diciembre), un usuario de SoundCloud llamado Alan Rendon publicó una pista con acordeón llamada “El corrido de Luigi Mangione” que dice: “En la fría mañana de diciembre en Nueva York, su ley dejó / Un hombre en bicicleta cruzaba con un plan que en su mente vivió / En la calle 54 su destino él fue a enfrentar, Brian Thompson cayó por las balas / Justicia Luigi quiso entregar”. El tema continúa: “En su mensaje dejó su razón / No buscaba riquezas ni fama, solo justicias a su nación / Hoy su nombre recorre las calles, un mensaje oscuro dejó / La industria que tanto culpaba, su propia sentencia firmó”. El corrido presenta a Mangione como un símbolo oscuro de resistencia contra la mala conducta corporativa, comparación que muchos han hecho con el antihéroe de la película V for Vendetta . Otra artista, Gabriela MC , hizo eco de este sentimiento en un TikTok publicado el 15 de diciembre, cantando: “Un día 4 de diciembre se dice que el empresario tenía una junta pendiente / Pura gente de alto rango, cuando tres balas certeras la vida le arrebataron / No se conmueve la gente por el rico asesinado/ Niega, depone y defiende, claves del asesinato / Y aunque murió de repente la junta no cancelaron / No creas que por los millones tienes la vida comprada / Él a eso se dedicaba y no pudo asegurarla / Qué vueltas nos da la vida, así se las cobra el karma”. La usuaria hace referencia a las tres balas encontradas en la escena del crimen con las palabras grabadas “ deny “, “ defend “, y “ depose “, (o negar, defender y deponer). Según Associated Press , esas tres palabras suelen utilizarse para describir las prácticas de las compañías de seguros a la hora de denegar reclamaciones. La frase es también el título del libro de Jay M. Feinman Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It . Publicado en 2010, este tomo ofrece una visión crítica de las prácticas utilizadas habitualmente por las compañías de seguros que afectan negativamente a los asegurados. “Seis días después de su muerte dieron con el italiano / Un joven inteligente de Pensilvania graduado”, canta. “Monopoly iba jugando / No insulten la inteligencia de ese pueblo americano / Su madre pidió clemencia, como a muchos la negaron / Se le acabó la paciencia, Luigi los vino ajustando”. Durante la persecución inicial tras el asesinato de Thompson, el 6 de diciembre se encontró abandonada en Central Park una mochila que se creía era del asesino y que contenía dinero del Monopoly. Según un boletín de las fuerzas del orden obtenido por The AP , Mangione llevaba una nota manuscrita en el momento de su detención, el 9 de diciembre en Pensilvania, y que el documento criticaba a las compañías de seguros médicos “parasitarias”. Otro usuario de TikTok, Cruzistojose1978, publicó un corrido que introduce una perspectiva en primera persona a la narrativa de Mangione. “Soy un joven con cabeza, en Pensilvania graduado / La vida me dio sus pruebas y el destino las ha cobrado / Hoy tras rejas me encuentro, pero mi motivo está marcado”, canta. Mientras su destino penal se resuelve, la historia de Mangione, tal como se representa en los corridos, podría desafiar a los oyentes a enfrentarse a las realidades sobre los desequilibrios de poder dentro de la sociedad — o al menos, eso es lo que afirma el origen de los corridos, según Con su pistola en la mano: Un corrido fronterizo y su héroe , el libro seminal de Américo Paredes publicado en 1958 sobre Gregorio Cortez, un forajido mexicano-estadounidense que mató a un sheriff en defensa propia contra el racismo y la injusticia a finales del siglo XIX. Este incidente provocó la creación de corridos que celebraban sus hazañas como un símbolo de resistencia contra las acciones discriminatorias de las autoridades angloamericanas hacia los mexicano-americanos en Texas. El libro sostiene que el origen de corridos como los de Gregorio Cortez no servían solo como entretenimiento, sino como potentes expresiones de protesta contra la opresión.
Judge hears closing arguments on whether Google's advertising tech constitutes a monopolyNone
By Fabio Teixeira RIO DE JANEIRO, - The 163 Chinese workers found by Brazil's labor ministry in what it described as "slavery-like conditions" at a factory construction site owned by Chinese electric vehicle producer BYD have been removed and taken to hotels, while officials negotiate with BYD and the Jinjiang Group about further measures to protect them, authorities said. The growing controversy in the automaker's biggest overseas market has put a spotlight on immigrant worker conditions in the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. A deal with labor prosecutors involving BYD and the Jinjiang Group could be inked as soon as Jan. 7, when they are scheduled to meet. Earlier this week, the labor prosecutor's office described the workers, who had been hired by Chinese construction firm Jinjiang Group, as human trafficking victims. The firm had withheld the passports of 107 of the workers, investigators said. Investigations into slavery can carry powerful consequences for employers in Brazil, including a restriction on their access to bank loans. Jinjiang has denied any wrongdoing, while BYD said it had cut ties with Jinjiang. Both companies are collaborating with authorities on the investigation. Jinjiang said, in a social media post reposted by a BYD spokesperson, that describing the workers' conditions as "slavery-like" was inaccurate, while a BYD executive said media and other groups were "deliberately smearing Chinese brands and the country and undermining the relationship between China and Brazil." If the two companies are charged by labor inspectors with submitting workers to slavery-like conditions, they could be added to Brazil's so-called "dirty list" - a public listing of employers found liable for such charges. While the names of companies are only added to the list after all possibility of appeal is exhausted, which can take years, once a company is included it would stay there for two years. Beyond the substantial reputation risk the "dirty list" carries, companies in it are also barred from obtaining certain types of loans from Brazilian banks. Companies can avoid being included on the "dirty list" by signing a deal with the government committing to change their practices and compensate workers whose rights were abused. Companies and executives are also subject to legal action. Prosecutors who monitor labor affairs can sue companies that are found to have abused workers' rights, unless they agree to pay damages to the Brazilian government and to victims. Separately, federal prosecutors may also pursue criminal charges against executives. Charges of human trafficking and keeping workers in slavery-like conditions carry sentences of up to eight years in prison each. Federal prosecutors have already asked labor authorities to share the evidence they have gathered against BYD and the Jinjiang Group, according to a Thursday statement from the Labor Prosecutor's Office. NEGOTIATIONS BEGIN Labor inspectors are now negotiating with the companies for compensation for the workers whose rights they believe were abused. That could include payment for missed wages and severance. The workers will also receive unemployment benefits. "The efforts of the government bodies at this time are focused on the victims and guaranteeing the victims' rights," said Mauricio Krepsky, a former head of Brazil's Division of Inspection for the Eradication of Slave Labor , a government body staffed by labor inspectors. Victims of human trafficking can choose to stay in Brazil or go back to their home countries, said Ludmila Paiva, co-founder of I-MiGRa, a non-profit that develops projects and research on human trafficking. During a meeting on Thursday, BYD has labor prosecutor's office.already agreed to purchase tickets and cover up to $120 in travel expenses for the return trip to China of seven employees scheduled to return on Jan. 1, according to a statement from Brazil's Negotiations between labor authorities and companies that are suspected of submitting workers to degrading conditions can take months to come, depending on the complexity of the case, the number of victims involved and whether the firms cooperate with authorities or not, experts told Reuters. If the firms are charged, it could still take years for their names to be added to the list, as companies can appeal internally to the government or file lawsuits to keep their names out of the registry. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.How Trump’s bet on voters electing him managed to silence some of his legal woesPolice use chainsaw to hack into £250,000 drugs factory
Walmart’s DEI rollback signals a profound shift in the wake of Trump’s election victorySaudi Gazette report RIYADH — As Saudi Arabia prepares to host the FIFA World Cup 2034, one of the biggest questions is: when will the tournament take place? While the exact timing remains unannounced, projections suggest that careful consideration of climatic, cultural, and logistical factors will play a key role in determining the schedule. Balancing these elements with FIFA’s global calendar is critical to ensuring a successful tournament. Here’s an analysis of the potential hosting windows and the periods to avoid. Historical Context and Climatic Considerations Traditionally, the FIFA World Cup has been held during June and July, aligning with the European football offseason. However, this timing presents significant challenges for Saudi Arabia, where summer temperatures often exceed 44°C (111°F). Such conditions pose safety risks for players, fans, and event staff, even with advanced cooling technologies. A notable exception to the traditional schedule occurred in 2022 when Qatar hosted the World Cup in November and December. This adjustment was made to take advantage of cooler temperatures in the Gulf region, which are comparable to Saudi Arabia’s climate. The success of the Qatar tournament demonstrates the viability of deviating from tradition to prioritize player performance and fan comfort. Cultural and Religious Considerations Saudi Arabia’s rich cultural and religious calendar adds another layer of complexity to scheduling. Key periods to avoid include: 1. Ramadan (November 12 – December 12, 2034) Hosting the World Cup during Ramadan would pose challenges, as players and staff observing the fast would experience reduced energy levels. Evening prayer schedules, including Taraweeh, could conflict with match timings, while fan engagement may be impacted by cultural priorities. 2. **Hajj Season (February 20 – March 22, 2034) The annual pilgrimage to Makkah attracts millions of Muslims from around the world. Hosting the World Cup during this time would place immense pressure on Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure, including transportation, accommodation, and public services, potentially disrupting both events. 3. Christmas and New Year (Late December to Early January) Many participating nations celebrate major holidays during this period, limiting international fan engagement and creating broadcasting challenges. Months to Avoid Given these considerations, the following months are unsuitable for hosting the tournament: - February 20 to March 22: Hajj season. - Mid-November to Mid-December: Ramadan. - June to August: Extreme heat. - Late December to Early January: Christmas and New Year. The most logical and favorable period to host the FIFA World Cup 2034 in Saudi Arabia is early October to early November. This window offers several advantages: 1. Pleasant Weather: Temperatures during these months range between 15°C and 30°C, ideal for both daytime and evening matches. 2. Cultural Alignment: This period avoids major religious or cultural observances, ensuring smooth operations. 3. Global Calendar Compatibility: Early October to early November provides a natural break in international football schedules, minimizing disruptions to domestic leagues and other tournaments. While the exact timing of the FIFA World Cup 2034 in Saudi Arabia remains unconfirmed, the Kingdom’s strategic approach to addressing climatic, cultural, and logistical factors sets a strong foundation. By learning from Qatar’s precedent in 2022 and leveraging its own event-hosting expertise, Saudi Arabia is poised to create an unforgettable tournament. The proposed period of early October to early November aligns with ideal weather conditions and avoids conflicts with significant holidays, making it the most practical and successful window for the world’s greatest football event. In the absence of an official announcement, this remains an option for when Saudi Arabia will welcome the world to celebrate the beautiful game. < Previous Page Next Page >
Dubai Metro to extend operating hours for 3 daysAs the war in Ukraine grinds on and Europe gets bogged down in its own troubles, post-Soviet states are reassessing their futures away from the aspirational and toward the practical. This comes partly from Russia’s illustration of what can happen to a neighboring country that takes an overtly anti-Moscow path. But it also comes out of the creation of many profitable new business opportunities, as Russia reorients its international trade to avoid sanctions via countries that are more friendly and accessible as conduits. The allure of the European Union, which once shone brightly throughout the region, also seems to have faded amid the bloc’s many political and economic troubles, as well as its failure to help Ukraine sufficiently to stave off the Russians. For instance, in Georgia’s recent elections, voters opted for the party that favored economic ties with Moscow over a pro-Europe opposition. “Average Georgians are more concerned with economic issues and maintaining peace than anything else – both of which rely on having better relations with Russia,” says Bryan Gigantino, a historian in Tbilisi. “Geography matters,” says Alexander Iskandaryan, a political scientist in Yerevan, Armenia. “While Georgia and Armenia aim for Europe, we know that Russia has to be taken into account.” Winds stirred up by shifting global realities are blowing across the former Soviet region, motivating some of those independent states to recalibrate their practical relations with Russia, even if that means postponing hopes of joining the European Union. And those winds are likely to be just a bit chillier in the wake of Donald Trump’s election as president of the United States. Many of the factors pushing some post-Soviet states into closer ties with Russia are long-standing ones , rooted in their common heritage as part of the U.S.S.R. for several decades. But the war in Ukraine has made it much more urgent. This comes partly from illustrating what can happen to a neighboring country that takes an overtly anti-Moscow path. But it also comes out of the creation of many profitable new business opportunities, as Russia reorients its international trade to avoid sanctions via countries that are more friendly and accessible as conduits. The allure of the EU, which once shone brightly throughout the region, also seems to have faded amid the bloc’s many political and economic troubles, as well as its failure to help Ukraine sufficiently to stave off the Russians. In the long tug-of-war between Russia and the West for the allegiance of post-Soviet countries, “slowly, pragmatism seems to be winning the upper hand,” says Vladimir Zharikhin, deputy director of the Kremlin-funded Institute of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Moscow. “Economic interests are becoming increasingly de-ideologized, and seen more as a matter of practical necessity. “For a long time economic self-interest was subordinated to the idea that Europe represents civilization, which must be reached by pushing away from Russia whatever the cost,” he says. “Now it’s clear that Russia is a big, strong market whose business these countries need, and it can’t be substituted by European dreams.” The most obvious example of this trend is Georgia, a small nation in the South Caucasus that was the first, more than 20 years ago, to stage a “ colored revolution ” to overthrow a pro-Moscow leader and declare joining the West its key strategic goal. Georgia lost a brief war with Russia in 2008, and spent several subsequent years having virtually no relations with its giant neighbor. In recent years, the ruling Georgian Dream party has moved to mend economic fences with Russia, while still insisting its long-term goal is to join the EU. But it has also begun requiring transparency from foreign-funded civil society groups , as many countries are doing, leading the EU to suspend the country’s accession bid and cut financial aid. The Georgian Dream party won October parliamentary elections with 54%, a result fiercely disputed by the opposition but affirmed last week by the country’s election commission. Despite ongoing protests, and criticisms of the vote from the West, the outcome seems likely to hold. Observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe had concerns about the elections , but noted that “voters were offered a choice between 18 candidate lists and candidates could generally campaign freely.” “Average Georgians are more concerned with economic issues and maintaining peace than anything else – both of which rely on having better relations with Russia,” says Bryan Gigantino, a historian and lecturer at the Georgian American University in Tbilisi. He says the Georgian Dream party is not particularly “pro-Russian,” as its critics often claim, but is seeking to navigate the difficult middle ground between East and West, while maximizing benefits for Georgia. “This line of thinking is also common among some political forces in Europe, which explains why Georgian Dream aligns so strongly with Hungary,” whose prime minister, Viktor Orbán, was the first foreign leader to visit Georgia after the election, says Mr. Gigantino. Mr. Trump may be more understanding of this pragmatic attitude as well. Improving the very bad current relations between Washington and Tbilisi hinges on the hope that “a Trump administration would be open to a relationship that is more transactional, and less dependent on abstract and ever-changing values,” Mr. Gigantino adds. The shifting mood is also visible in tiny Moldova. There pro-Western voters narrowly won a referendum in October on prioritizing the country’s EU membership, while pro-Western president Maia Sandu won against a candidate who espoused a Georgian-style pragmatic approach to relations with the West and Russia by a smaller margin than expected in November. Many were shocked at the tight nature of both victories. Charges of Russian meddling, including allegations of vote-buying by a Moldovan oligarch on the lam in Russia, could have substance. Barely a year earlier polls had found almost two-thirds support for EU membership , while the referendum only passed after votes from Moldova’s diaspora in the West were counted. Unlike Georgia, Moldova has large Russian-speaking populations, including the ethnically Turkic region of Gagauzia, which is home to about 5% of Moldovans, and the breakaway republic of Transnistria , a long strip along the Ukrainian border with another 10%. They tend to favor the direction Georgia has taken with Moscow. “Most of the people in those Russian-speaking areas do not like the fact that Moldova joined the anti-Russian sanctions,” says Alexander Corinenco, an independent political scientist in the capital of Chișinău. “They look at Georgia and see the politics they are pursuing is more in our national interests, while they think that Moldovan leaders just want to cozy up with Europe. In Gagauzia, the local leaders congratulated Trump very publicly on his victory, because they hope it signals a change in the political direction.” Similar trends can be seen in other post-Soviet states, such as Armenia and Kazakhstan, where post-Soviet links to the West remain strong, but the economic pull of Russia is a factor that cannot be evaded. “Geography matters,” says Alexander Iskandaryan, director of the independent Caucasus Institute in Yerevan, Armenia. “While Georgia and Armenia aim for Europe, we know that Russia has to be taken into account. “European values may be popular, especially among the youth, but Armenian business depends heavily on the Russian market, and cooperation is growing,” he says. “Politics is one thing, and import-export figures are quite another. For Armenia, both Russia and the West matter, and neither can be ignored.”
The USS Zumwalt is at a Mississippi shipyard where workers have installed missile tubes that replace twin turrets from a gun system that was never activated because it was too expensive. Once the system is complete, the Zumwalt will provide a platform for conducting fast, precision strikes from greater distances, adding to the usefulness of the warship. “It was a costly blunder. But the Navy could take victory from the jaws of defeat here, and get some utility out of (the ships) by making them into a hypersonic platform,” said Bryan Clark, a defence analyst at the Hudson Institute. The US has had several types of hypersonic weapons in development for the past two decades, but recent tests by both Russia and China have added pressure to the US military to hasten their production. Hypersonic weapons travel beyond Mach 5, five times the speed of sound, with added manoeuvrability making them harder to shoot down. Last year, The Washington Post newspaper reported that among the documents leaked by former Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira was a defence department briefing that confirmed China had recently tested an intermediate-range hypersonic weapon called the DF-27. While the Pentagon had previously acknowledged the weapon’s development, it had not recognised its testing. One of the US programmes in development and planned for the Zumwalt is the Conventional Prompt Strike. It would launch like a ballistic missile and then release a hypersonic glide vehicle that would travel at speeds seven to eight times faster than the speed of sound before hitting the target. The weapon system is being developed jointly by the Navy and Army. Each of the three Zumwalt-class destroyers would be equipped with four missile tubes, each with three of the missiles for a total of 12 hypersonic weapons per ship. In choosing the Zumwalt, the Navy is attempting to add to the usefulness of a 7.5 billion US dollars (£5.9 billion) warship that is considered by critics to be an expensive mistake despite serving as a test platform for multiple innovations. The Zumwalt was envisioned as providing land-attack capability with an advanced gun system with rocket-assisted projectiles to open the way for Marines to charge ashore. But the system featuring 155mm guns hidden in stealthy turrets was cancelled because each of the rocket-assisted projectiles cost up to one million dollars (£790,000). Despite the stain on their reputation, the three Zumwalt-class destroyers: Zumwalt, Michael Monsoor and Lyndon B Johnson; remain the Navy’s most advanced surface warships in terms of new technologies. Those innovations include electric propulsion, an angular shape to minimise radar signature, an unconventional wave-piercing hull, automated fire and damage control and a composite deckhouse that hides radar and other sensors. The US is accelerating development because hypersonics have been identified as vital to US national security with “survivable and lethal capabilities”, said James Weber, principal director for hypersonics in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies. “Fielding new capabilities that are based on hypersonic technologies is a priority for the defence department to sustain and strengthen our integrated deterrence, and to build enduring advantages,” he said.