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Published by Reuters By Gabriela Baczynska and Gergely Szakacs BRUSSELS/BUDAPEST (Reuters) – The European Union executive recommended on Sunday suspending some 7.5 billion euros in funding for Hungary over corruption, the first such case in the 27-nation bloc under a new sanction meant to better protect the rule of law. The EU introduced the new financial sanction two years ago precisely in response to what it says amounts to the undermining of democracy in Poland and Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban subdued courts, media, NGOs and academia, as well as restricting the rights of migrants, gays and women during more than a decade in power. “It’s about breaches of the rule of law compromising the use and management of EU funds,” said EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn. “We cannot conclude that the EU budget is sufficiently protected.” He highlighted systemic irregularities in Hungary’s public procurement laws, insufficient safeguards against conflicts of interest, weaknesses in effective prosecution and shortcomings in other anti-graft measures. Hahn said the Commission was recommending the suspension of about a third of cohesion funds envisaged for Hungary from the bloc’s shared budget for 2021-27 worth a total of 1.1 trillion euros. The 7.5 billion euros in question amounts to 5% of the country’s estimated 2022 GDP. EU countries now have up to three months to decide on the proposal. Hahn said Hungary’s latest promise to address EU criticisms was a significant step in the right direction but must still be translated into new laws and practical actions before the bloc would be reassured. Development Minister Tibor Navracsics, in charge of negotiations with the EU, said Hungary would meet all 17 of its commitments made to the European Commission to stave off the loss of any EU funding. “Hungary did not make commitments to befuddle the Commission,” Navracsics told a news conference. “We have made commitments that we know can be implemented … therefore, we will not be facing a loss of funds.” CORRUPTION Orban’s government proposed creating a new anti-graft agency in recent weeks as Budapest came under pressure to secure money for the ailing economy and forint, the worst-performing currency in the EU’s east. Orban, who calls himself a “freedom fighter” against the world view of the liberal West, denies that Hungary – an ex-communist country of some 10 million people – is any more corrupt than others in the EU. Navracsics said Orban’s government would submit laws to parliament on Friday to establish a new independent anti-graft authority to monitor the public procurement of EU funds, with the body to be launched by the second half of November. Hungary has also pledged to implement several other anti-corruption safeguards, including tighter rules on conflicts of interest, extending the scope of financial statements and broadening the power of judges to pursue suspected corruption. Navracsics expressed hope that the Commission would be reassured by the implementation of the reforms and withdraw its proposed sanctions against Hungary by Nov. 19. The Commission is already blocking some 6 billion euros in funds envisaged for Hungary in a separate COVID economic recovery stimulus over the same corruption concerns. Reuters documented in 2018 how Orban channels EU development funds to his friends and family, a practice human rights organisations say has immensely enriched his inner circle and allowed the 59-year-old to entrench himself in power. Hungary had irregularities in nearly 4% of EU funds spending in 2015-2019, according to the bloc’s anti-fraud body OLAF, by far the worst result among the 27 EU countries. Orban has also rubbed many in the bloc up the wrong way by cultivating continued close ties with President Vladimir Putin and threatening to deny EU unity needed to impose and preserve sanctions on Russia for waging war against Ukraine. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/hungary-orban-balaton (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; editing by David Evans) View the full article

Published by Al-Araby As thousands of revellers grooved to the sounds of Uganda’s sold-out Nyege Nyege music festival on the banks of the Nile, relieved organisers said an attempted “immorality” ban had only served to boost sales. A public outcry forced Ugandan authorities to reverse the ban – imposed over claims that the four-day extravaganza promoted sex, homosexuality and drug use – but not before news of the prohibition made international headlines. Some of the partygoers attending the festival, which brings together artists from across Africa, told AFP they had only heard about the event that ends on Sunday th… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Melanie C regrets not being more outspoken. The 48-year-old singer – who is known as Sporty Spice in the girl group – is glad to see her 13-year-old daughter Scarlet’s generation speaking out on issues affecting them and wishes she’d done the same. Speaking to heat magazine, she said: “In all areas of my life, I wish I’d been more vocal. “It’s really important to be strong, follow your instincts, and speak out. “I think people are doing that more now – I think we live in a society where things are changing, and my daughter’s generation are definitely more outspoken. “That’s where I have the most regrets.” The ‘2 Become 1’ singer admits there have been times when she’s disagreed with her bandmates – Mel B, Emma Bunton, Geri Horner and Victoria Beckham – but she insists it would be “strange” if they had the “same beliefs” about everything. Asked about feeling “silenced within the band” and asked if she’s felt “frustrated” by something her bandmates have said to the press, she said: “Even now this happens! “Often, if one Spice Girl does or says something, it reflects on all of us, which is ridiculous, because the band is about individuality. “We’re all different, we have different personalities, and different beliefs in certain areas. There’s a lot we share, obviously. “The band is about inclusivity, the LGBTQ+ community, of which we are allies, and obviously fighting for girls’ equality. “So yeah, there are certain things where do really share the same beliefs. “But then there are other things where we have very different beliefs. “I think it’s really bizarre to think we all think the same thing about everything. “You know, we are very different people.” View the full article

Published by Reuters BELGRADE (Reuters) – Police clashed with right-wing protesters on Saturday as several thousand people joined an LGBTQ march in Serbia to mark the end of EuroPride week, an event staged in a different European city each year. Police clashed with two right-wing groups trying to disrupt the march, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said, adding that 10 police officers were slightly injured, five police cars damaged and 64 protesters arrested. “I am very proud that we managed to avoid more serious incidents,” Brnabic, who herself is Serbia’s first gay prime minister, told reporters. Following protests by nationalists and religious groups, the government had banned the march last week. But faced with calls by European Union officials and human rights activists, it allowed a shortened route for the march. Those participating walked several hundred metres to the Tsmajdan stadium where a concert took place. The United States’ ambassador to Serbia, Christopher Hill, and the European parliament’s special rapporteur for Serbia, Vladimir Bilcik, joined the march. Previous Serbian governments have banned Pride parades, drawing criticism from human rights groups and others. Some Pride marches in the early 2000s met with fierce opposition and were marred by violence. But recent Pride marches in Serbia have passed off peacefully, a change cited by EuroPride organisers as one reason Belgrade was chosen as this year’s host. Copenhagen was the host in 2021. Serbia is a candidate to join the EU, but it must first meet demands to improve the rule of law and its record on human and minority rights. (Reporting by Ivana Sekularac; Editing by Christina Fincher) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andrius Sytas TALLINN (Reuters) – Western sanctions are starting to hurt Russia’s ability to make advanced weaponry for the war in Ukraine, a top NATO military adviser told Reuters on Friday, although he added Russian industry could still manufacture “a lot of ammunition”. The United States, the European Union and other countries announced several packages of sanctions against Moscow after its Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, which included a ban on the sale of advanced technology. “They are hampered more and more by the sanctions – because some of the components that they need for their weapons systems come from the Western industry,” Rob Bauer, a Dutch Admiral who chairs NATO’s Military Committee, said in an interview. “We now see the first serious signs of that in terms of their ability to produce, for example, the replacement of cruise missiles and more advanced weaponry,” he added. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday that a loss of technology due EU sanctions was severely hurting Moscow’s ability to sustain weapons production. Both sides in the war are facing challenges because the conventional conflict has required expending military supplies at rates unseen in decades, said Bauer. “As far as we know, the Russians still have a considerable industrial base and are able to produce a lot of ammunition. And they still have a lot of ammunition”, he added, speaking ahead of a two-day meeting of NATO defence chiefs starting in Estonia later on Friday. Moscow says that what it calls a “special military operation” was necessary to prevent Ukraine from being used as a platform for Western aggression, and to defend Russian-speakers. Kyiv and its Western allies dismiss these arguments as baseless pretexts for an imperial-style war of aggression. ‘OLD FASHIONED’ RUSSIAN FIGHTING President Vladimir Putin said on Sept. 12 that Russia was holding up well in the face of Western sanctions. “The economic blitzkrieg tactics, the onslaught they were counting on, did not work,” he said on state TV while chairing a meeting on the economy. Bauer said that about 85% of Russian troops are already fighting in Ukraine, limiting Russia’s ability to enlarge its military presence as it cannot announce a general mobilization without declaring a war. “We see limited numbers of fresh troops coming in. And the one thing that we’re sure of is that the training level of those troops is not very high”, said Bauer. This month Ukraine has stunned Russia with a counter-offensive in the northeast Kharkiv region, with Ukrainian officials saying 9,000 sq km (3,400 sq miles) have been retaken, about the size of the island of Cyprus. Bauer said the advance was successful due largely to NATO-standard Ukrainian troop training since 2014 that had allowed its units to take initiative. “One of the reasons why they are so successful at the moment is that the Russians are fighting in a very old fashioned way”, he said. “Every Russian unit gets its direction from higher authorities, therefore, if something changes, they are waiting for a new order. The Ukrainians advanced so quickly that the Russians didn’t get (new orders) and had to retreat and retreat”. (Editing by William Maclean) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English King Charles III and the Prince of Wales paid a visit to the thousands of mourners queuing to see the Queen lying in waiting on Saturday (17.09.22). The new monarch and the first in line to the British throne surprised those taking hours out of their day to pay their respects to the late queen – who died aged 96 on September 8 – at Westminster Hall, with Prince William quipping that his father is “a lot quicker” than him. They were met with huge cheers as they shook hands with members of the public at Lambeth Bridge, south London. Many shouted “God Save the King”, “God Save the Prince of Wales” and “we love you William”. One queuer had come all the way from the Czech Republic, and the prince told them: “Unbelievable. She [the Queen] would never believe this, honestly. It’s amazing.” William, 40, joked at one point that his 73-year-old father was racing along the metal barriers between the royals and the public, while he held back and spoke with them. He smiled: “My father’s way quicker than me.” This morning, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s queue tracker said the queue from Southwark Park had a wait time of “at least 24 hours”. Meanwhile, the queen’s eight grandchildren (Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Sussex, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn) will take part in their own vigil today (17.09.22), after their parents held one last night. Charles, Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward led a 15-minute vigil to their mother while wearing military dress as they stood by her coffin. King Charles – who acceded to the throne the moment his mother passed – was near the head of the coffin while his siblings were arranged on the other sides. Members of the public continued to move past the coffin in silence. Eugenie and Beatrice – who are the daughters of Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess York, – could be seen on the platform to the side of the coffin along with their cousins Zara and Peter. King Charles – who was seen to arrive at the hall a little before 7.30pm – left the event just before 8:15pm as the crowds outside cheered. Members of the public wishing to pay their respects to the monarch have been warned they need to be in the queue by 12.30am on Monday (19.09.22) in order to make it into Westminster Hall before it closes at 6.30am, just hours before the queen’s funeral is to take place at Westminster Abbey. View the full article

Published by AFP A forensics team exhumes a body in a forest on the outskirts of Izyum, eastern Ukraine on Friday Izyum (Ukraine) (AFP) – The EU presidency on Saturday called for the establishment of an international tribunal for war crimes after new mass graves were found in Ukraine. “In the 21st century, such attacks against the civilian population are unthinkable and abhorrent,” said Jan Lipavsky, foreign minister of the Czech Republic which holds the European Union’s rotating presidency. “We must not overlook it. We stand for the punishment of all war criminals,” he added in a message on Twitter. “I call for the speedy establishment of a special international tribunal that will prosecute the crime of aggression.” The appeal follows the discovery by Ukrainian authorities of around 450 graves outside the formerly Russian-occupied city of Izyum with most of the exhumed bodies showing signs of torture. “Among the bodies that were exhumed today, 99 percent showed signs of violent death,” Oleg Synegubov, head of Kharkiv regional administration, said on social media. “There are several bodies with their hands tied behind their backs, and one person is buried with a rope around his neck,” he added. “Russia leaves only death and suffering. Murderers. Torturers,” said Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. Some of the remains exhumed included children and people who were likely tortured before dying, he added. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said that the graves likely provided more evidence that Russia is committing war crimes in its pro-Western neighbour, and French President Emmanuel Macron said what happened in Izyum were atrocities. “I condemn in the strongest terms the atrocities committed in Izyum, Ukraine, under Russian occupation,” Macron tweeted. ‘Tortured’ The Ukrainian parliament’s human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, said there were “probably more than 1,000 Ukrainian citizens tortured and killed in the liberated territories of the Kharkiv region”. Ukraine national police chief Igor Klymenko said they had found multiple torture rooms in the town of Balakliya and elsewhere in Kharkiv since the Russians were driven out. The United Nations in Geneva has said it hopes to send a team to determine the circumstances of the deaths. The announcement of this macabre discovery has raised a new wave of indignation in the West. The discoveries came a little more than five months after the Russian army, driven out of the vicinity of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, left behind hundreds of corpses of civilians, many of whom bore the traces of torture and summary executions. “Deeply shocked’ The European Union is “deeply shocked” at the discovery by Ukrainian officials of mass graves in the recaptured city of Izyum, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Friday. “This inhuman behaviour by the Russian forces, in total disregard of international humanitarian law and the Geneva conventions, must stop immediately. On Thursday, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said she wanted Russian President Vladimir Putin to face the International Criminal Court over war crimes in Ukraine. In Washington, US President Joe Biden warned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin against using chemical or tactical nuclear weapons in the wake of serious losses in his war in Ukraine. “Don’t. Don’t. Don’t,” Biden said, in an excerpt from an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” aired Friday evening. Biden was responding to an interviewer’s question about the possibility of Putin, whose army is incurring heavy losses in the Ukraine counteroffensive this month, resorting to chemical or tactical nuclear weapons. “You would change the face of war unlike anything since World War II,” Biden said. “They will become more of a pariah in the world, more than they have ever been,” the US leader added. ‘Pushing them back’ On the ground, Ukrainian forces have recaptured thousands of square kilometres in recent weeks thanks to a counter-offensive in the north-east and now threaten enemy positions in the south, as the fighting and bombings continue. The Russians “are angry because our army is pushing them back in its counter-offensive,” said Svitlana Shpuk, a 42-year-old worker in Kryvyi Rih, a southern town, and Zelensky’s hometown, which was flooded after a dam was destroyed by Russian missiles. The governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleg Synegoubov, said that an 11-year-old girl was killed by missile fire in the region. Pavlo Kyrylenko, the governor of Donestk in eastern Ukraine which has been partially controlled by Russian-backed separatists since 2014, said on social media that Ukrainian firefighters were battling a fire there and that the bombing had led to cuts in drinking water. “The occupiers are deliberately targeting infrastructure in the area to try to inflict as much damage as possible, primarily on the civilian population,” he charged. The Russian army denies targeting civilian infrastructure or residential areas. In its daily briefing in Moscow, the Kremlin said it had carried out “high-precision” strikes against Ukrainian positions in the Mykolayev and Kharkiv regions. In the relative calm of Kyiv on Saturday, hundreds of Ukrainians took part in a farewell ceremony at the Kiev national opera house for former ballet dancer and later teacher Oleksandr Shapoval, who was killed at the age of 47 in the east of the country while fighting the Russians. Shapoval was hit by mortar fire on September 12, near the town of Mayorsk in the Donetsk region. View the full article

Published by Al-Araby The Egyptian education ministry has ordered educational directorates to integrate concepts of sexual education, sexual harassment and sexual violence into the basic education curriculum, local media reported on Thursday. The move is an aim to protect children following increasing public concern that they may imitate “deviant” sexual behaviours – which many in Egypt consider to include homosexuality – as children watch content online, according to Sada El Balad and Egypt Independent. Egypt has banned films containing homosexual references and its Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR) rec… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) -Brazil’s presidential hopeful Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva leads incumbent Jair Bolsonaro by 12 points, a Thursday poll showed, while the far-right leader seeking reelection has lost the pace against his leftist rival’s edge ahead of the Oct. 2 vote. The survey by Datafolha showed Lula with 45% voter support versus 33% for Bolsonaro in the election’s first round, compared with 45% and 34% respectively in the previous poll. In an expected second-round run-off, Lula would garner the support of 54% of voters versus 38% for Bolsonaro, a 16 point advantage, according to the poll, up from 14 points a week ago. Bolsonaro’s approval rating edged down to 30%, compared to 31% one week ago; still above the 22% he held in December, after which his popularity ticked up thanks to welfare programs and measures to tackle inflation. His disapproval came in at 44%, according to the poll, up from 42% one week ago but down from the 53% seen in December. Datafolha conducted 5,926 in-person interviews between Sept. 13-15. The poll has a margin of error of 2 percentage points up or down. (Reporting by Carolina Pulice and Pedro Fonseca) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Lil Nas X’s next track, ‘STAR WALKIN” will soundtrack the ‘League of Legends’ Worlds 2022 tournament. The ‘Old Town Road’ hitmaker’s fans can expect the new song on September 23, ahead of the big kick-off in Mexico City. What’s more, Nas will be playing live during the Worlds Finals at San Francisco’s Chase Center on November 5. The Grammy winner has also teamed up with Riot Games to design a skin for the new champion K’Sante, The Pride Of Nazumah, with Prestige Empyrean K’Sante being unlockable between November 3 and 14. In a statement, the 23-year-old star – whose real name is Montero Hill – said: “I felt like it was time for me to try something new. “I’ve left my mark on pop culture in so many ways, and now it’s time to take on the world of gaming.” The ‘Industry Baby’ hitmaker quipped: “I will be the greatest president of ‘League of Legends’, of all time. “Also I’m going to make the best Worlds anthem of all time and put on the biggest, coolest, sexiest Worlds in the history of all Worlds! ‘STAR WALKIN’’ is the only song anyone is allowed to listen to from now on.” Last year, PVRIS released the Worlds anthem ‘Burn It All Down’. The likes of Imagine Dragons, Zedd and Against The Current are among the acts to have released an anthem for the tournament. Worlds 2022 will take place in Mexico City, New York City, Atlanta, and San Francisco between September 29 and November 5. View the full article

Published by DPA Amazon Studios says it's working on a Blade Runner sequel series, with Ridley Scott on board as executive producer. Ian West/PA Wire/dpa Blade Runner looks set to return, after Amazon Studios announced that it’s producing a sequel series – called “Blade Runner 2099” – for Prime Video. Ridley Scott, who directed the original 1982 “Blade Runner” movie, is on board as an executive producer, Amazon said on Thursday, as is Silka Louisa (Shining Girls), who also wrote the script. The sci-fi film is set in a dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, where original Blade Runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) has to fight insurgent synthetic humans also known as replicas. In the 2017, the Blade Runner universe returned to the screen with Denis Villeneuve’s sequel “Blade Runner 2049,” starring Ryan Gosling as well as Ford. Based on the title, the new Amazon series is likely to be set in 2099. So far, the streaming giant hasn’t disclosed any details concerning the plot or cast, however. View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Since the passing ofQueen Elizabeth II, many celebrities have given their condolences to the Royal family but none have displayed the respect that David Beckham, 47, did. Arriving before dawn and dressed in a black suit and tie, Beckham did not attempt to conceal his emotions as he joined the queue of grievers waiting to see the Queen lying in state. The former captain of England’s soccer team continued to wait in line for the next 13 hours. Speaking from the queue to ITV, he stated, “I thought by coming at 2 AM it was going to be a little bit quieter — I was wrong.” mega Beckham described himself as a royalist and a “huge fan of the Royal family,” as he spoke highly of the Queen and what it meant to him to be able to join his fellow countrymen in honoring her legacy. “Her Majesty meant so much in so many different ways,” said the teary-eyed soccer star, who has been close to the Royal family for many years and has historical attended events such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018. “I can speak on my behalf of the amount of times I was able to meet her through my career,” he continued, “Every time we stood there and wore those Three Lions shirts and I had my armband and we sang ‘God Save Our Queen,’ that was something that meant so much to us. Every time that we did it, it was something special.” mega “This day was always going to be a difficult day,” the former athlete said to interviewers, “Our thoughts are with the family, it’s very special to hear all of the stories from people here.” As one of England’s leading athletes for many years, Beckham met with Queen Elizabeth II several times since his rise to fame. It was clear as he spoke with reporters that this was more than just a stunt to see his name in headlines. “The most special moment for me was to receive my OBE. I took my grandparents with me who were huge royalists,” Beckham recalled on receiving the second highest ranking Order of British Empire (OBE) award from Her Majesty in 2003. the public queue to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II.mega “I was so lucky that I was able to have a few moments like that in my life to be around Her Majesty. It’s a sad day, but a day to remember,” he solemnly reflected. As the world mourns the incredible legacy and reign that spanned seven decades, inappropriate controversies regarding who should be in attendance, including members of the family, have surfaced. View the full article

Published by Radar Online Mega Marjorie Taylor Greene seemingly kicked a gun control advocate this week after being confronted by a group of activists in Washington, D.C., RadarOnline.com has learned. The shocking incident took place on Thursday as the controversial congresswoman was leaving the United States Capitol building. Mega After being surrounded by the large group of gun control advocates, the 48-year-old representative of Georgia’s 14th congressional district engaged in a heated back-and-forth regarding gun violence. Even more shocking is the fact that MTG herself tweeted a video of the incident in which she appears to kick a young woman two separate times after the young woman – who has since been identified as 18-year-old Marianna Pecora – walked in front of the congresswoman. “Did she literally just tweet out the video of her kicking me?” Pecora tweeted. Nearly 25 minutes earlier, Greene posted the video to her Twitter account calling Pecora and the other activists “foolish cowards” and suggested they are “idiots.” Mega “These foolish cowards want the government to take away guns & the rights of parents to defend their children in schools,” MTG wrote alongside the 3-minute clip. “You have to be an idiot to think gun control will create a utopian society where criminals disarm themselves and obey the law,” she continued before adding gun free zones “kill people.” Despite the video which appeared to show MTG kicking Pecora two separate times, the congresswoman’s communications director, Nick Dyer, told NPR the allegations are “absolutely ridiculous” and a “lie.” Pecora, who also spoke to NPR, admitted she was “a little shaken” emotionally in the wake of the incident. “It’s incredibly disheartening to me that a member of Congress has so little respect for the people of our country that she finds it acceptable to turn to trying to hurt them,” she told the outlet. Mega Late Thursday evening, Santiago Mayer – who serves as the executive director of the group Voters of Tomorrow and who was also with Pecora at the time of the incident – revealed the group is looking into pressing charges against MTG over her allegedly belligerent behavior. “To answer the most prevalent question about pressing charges: we’re talking to our legal team and keeping our options open,” Mayer said. View the full article

Published by AFP Venezuelan migrants, sent from Texas, in front of the official Washington residence of US Vice President Kamala Harris in September 2022 Washington (AFP) – Fifty or so migrants sent to the wealthy island of Martha’s Vineyard in the northeastern United States as part of a political battle over immigration will be temporarily housed at a military base not far from there, the governor of Massachusetts said Friday. The migrants, mostly Venezuelans and including children, arrived Wednesday at Martha’s Vineyard, a Democratic stronghold and popular vacation spot for the country’s political elite. They had been put on board flights from Texas which the Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, says he chartered. Despite local mobilization to help the new arrivals, the island is “not equipped to provide sustainable accommodation, and state officials developed a plan to deliver a comprehensive humanitarian response,” said a statement from the administration of Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican. State authorities on Friday offered to move the migrants, on a voluntary basis, to temporary accommodation at the nearby Joint Base Cape Cod. “Families will not be separated,” the statement said, noting that the base had previously served as an emergency shelter and that the migrants would have access to care and legal services. According to local media, the migrants were on their way to the base by midday Friday. Some of them had said they had not known they were being sent to an island. ‘Human trafficking’ Local Democrat legislator Julian Cyr called for an investigation. “Whether or not this meets the legal threshold for human trafficking, this meets the moral threshold of human trafficking,” he told local television, adding that he hoped the Department of Justice would look into the incident. Sending migrants to Democratic strongholds has become a political cudgel for the American right as a means of denouncing President Joe Biden’s immigration policy, which they say has allowed undocumented migrants to cross the border with Mexico in large numbers. It is also a way to try to place immigration at the center of the campaign for the midterm elections in November. On Thursday morning, two buses carrying migrants arrived near the official residence of Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington, a place chosen on purpose because she is overseeing the explosive issue of immigration for the White House. They had been sent by Texas’s Republican Governor Greg Abbott. The White House on Friday again slammed the Republican governors’ tactics towards people who have fled the socialist regime in Venezuela. “These were children. They were moms. They were fleeing communism. And what did Governor DeSantis and Governor Abbott do to them? They use them as political pawns, treating them like chattel in a cruel, premeditated political stunt,” said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre. “These are the kinds of tactics we see from smugglers in places like Mexico and Guatemala. And for what? A photo op?” she said. But DeSantis shot back by mocking the fact that the migrants had been transferred off the wealthy island. “By the way, they already bussed them out. They said, ‘We want everyone. No one’s illegal.’ And they’re gone within 48 hours,” he said. View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega An explosive new tell-all book from journalists Peter Baker and Susan Glasser provides damning new insight into the marriage of Melania Trump and Former President Donald Trump during their chaotic time at The White House, RadarOnline.com has learned. The book, The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021, contains never before heard accounts of interactions between the couple, as well as the Former First Lady’s criticism of her husband’s lack of actions on concerning issues. mega Incidences shared between the covers of The Divider, detail patronizing back-and-forth dialogue between Mr. and Mrs. Trump, over significant matters, such as his handling of the Coronavirus. The authors recount the moments when the country’s leading couple had a difference of opinions, to say the least, that caused the former model to become “rattled by the coronavirus and convinced that Trump was screwing up.” One excerpt exposed a phone conversation between Melania and then New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie. mega During the call, authors allege that Melania was relaying what she told her husband to Gov. Christie in a plea-like manner to potentially invoke pressure for her husband to reframe his opinion on the COVID-19 virus. “You’re blowing this. This is serious. It’s going to be really bad, and you need to take it more seriously than you’re taking it,” the authors claim Melania told Gov. Christie during their conversation. Failing to listen to his wife’s concerns, the authors shared the former reality star’s dismissive response: “You worry too much. Forget it.” mega In addition to not taking his own wife seriously, several other examples are outlined of the one-term president’s unbecoming disposition towards women, especially those in power. The remarks shared by the authors allege criticism from the former president focused on the women’s appearances rather than actions brought by their work. In one instance, it is shared that Trump “harshly criticized women for their looks, telling visitors that Speaker Nancy Pelosi was an example of why women should be careful about plastic surgery.” Another example provided context as to why Trump would not select his United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley as his running mate, citing that the real estate mogul-turned-politician told unnamed parties that Haley had a “complexion problem.” Many concerns from the Trump team on national security are also exposed in the tell-all. The Divider is set to hit shelves for purchase Tuesday, September 20. View the full article

Published by Reuters By Danielle Broadway (Reuters) – “The Phantom of the Opera,” the longest-running show on Broadway, is set to close on Feb. 18, 2023 due to a sharp drop in ticket sales even after New York theaters reopened following the pandemic lockdown. “Phantom” is a staple within the Broadway world with over 70 major theater wins and 13,733 performances since its debut in 1988. Despite its legacy, the New York Post reported that the show was losing $1 million a month. Fans mourned the news across social media, reflecting on what the show has meant to thespians and audiences alike. In January, the show cast Emilie Kouatchou as its first Black American actress to portray the lead role of Christine. The decision broke racial barriers and made Broadway history but her performances will be short-lived. The musical will celebrate its 35th anniversary in January followed by a final Broadway performance on Feb. 18. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” is based on the classic novel by Gaston Leroux and was originally directed by Harold Prince. Broadway legends including Michael Crawford, who was the first to play the Phantom, Sarah Brightman, Judy Kaye and others have taken leading roles in the show. “Phantom” tells the 19th century story of aspiring opera singer Christine Daae who is taught by the mysterious Phantom to hone her vocal skills. However, things take a dark turn when the Phantom chooses Christine as his muse, and she falls in love with an arts benefactor named Raoul. (Reporting by Danielle Broadway; Editing by David Gregorio) View the full article

Published by The Mercury News The flu shot is as familiar an October ritual as football, foliage and Halloween. But health officials are urging Americans to get the new flu shot and COVID booster at the same time — the sooner, the better. “Right where we are now — that’s a good time to be vaccinated,” influenza expert Dr. Lisa Grohskopf of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the nation’s physicians in a conference call late last week. That’s ahead of time, by traditional measures. Flu season most often peaks in February — and our levels of protective antibodies are at their highest about two weeks afte… Read More View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Rosie O’Donnell has had a “weird” relationship with Ellen DeGeneres. The 60-year-old star fronted her own daytime chat show from 1996 until 2002 and – following a brief period where she was replaced by ‘Sabrina, the Teenage Witch’ actress Caroline Rhea – her slot was ultimately taken by fellow comedienne Ellen, 64, who fronted ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ between 2003 and 2022 but the pair are still “not friends.” She said: “We had a little bit of a weird thing, and after my show went off the air and hers was coming on the air. Larry King was on with ‘Ellen’ and he said ‘What ever happened to Rosie O’Donnell? Her show went down the tubes! She came out as a lesbian and disappeared!’ And Ellen said, and I’m quoting, “I don’t know Rosie. We’re not friends.” At the time, Rosie was married to then-wife Kelli Carpenter and went on to explain that she has “never got over” the comments that Ellen made about her on air. Speaking on ‘Watch What Happens Live’, she told host Andy Cohen: “I was in bed with Kelli and I said ‘Did I just hear that? Or was that a hallucination, auditory voice in my [head]?’ ‘And that’s what happened. And it hurt my feelings like a baby. And I never really got over it!” However, ‘The Flintstones’ actress then insisted that she wishes no ill to her fellow TV star – who quit hosting ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ earlier this year after 19 years on the air – and in fact hopes that she is “well.” She added: “I wish her all the good things in life and that she should be well.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Jonathan Van Ness and Antoni Porowski say their pets “unconditional love” inspired their new business. The ‘Queer Eye’ stars attribute their “mutual love” of their furry friends as to why they created Yummers – a line of pet food ‘mix ins’ with 14 flavours – with Rebecca Frechette Rudisch. Jonathan – who has four cats Larry, Liza, Matilda and Genevieve and dog Rose- told PEOPLE magazine: “I just think some of my most fulfilling relationships have come from my pets, that unconditional love, and they take such good care of us. I do think that’s part of what makes Yummers so special is it really has been born from this desire for us to want to take better care of our animals and to want to show up for them in the ways that they show up for us.” The 35-year-old television personality added: “I think it’s a mutual love of pets, is what really kind of brought us together. We’re both pet parents, and Rebecca is really the mastermind. She saw that there was a gorgeous opportunity for us.” Antoni agreed, saying in the same interview that he adored dogs because they are “just unapologetic with their feelings and their neediness,” as he is a person who wears his “heart on his sleeve”. The 38-year-old reality star felt his dog – a rescue named Neon – helped him and his partner have some of “the best moments” of the lockdown brought on at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Antoni said: “When I look back at the pandemic, to bring that up, the best moments that I had were driving out to the country, going out into the woods with my partner and my dog, or r even just going on a walk with my dog after being in front of a computer screen all day long and just being in the outdoors and seeing how much joy it brought her and how much it actually helped me, and how symbiotic this relationship is that you have with a pet.” View the full article

Published by Radar Online MEGA Former President Donald Trump’s interest in buying Greenland was real and inspired by a friend, Radar has learned. As detailed in the new book, “The Divider,” Trump’s extensively covered 2019 interest in acquiring Greenland provides some juicy new details. Chief among them is that Trump reportedly at one point offered a straight-up exchange of Puerto Rico for the northern island territory. MEGA “He suggested taking federal money from Puerto Rico, which he disparaged, and using it to buy Greenland,” the booked noted. “On another occasion, he suggested outright trading Puerto Rico for Greenland.” Another more familiar revelation is that what Trump said publicly was apparently not quite in line with the truth. While the former president claimed the idea to acquire Greenland was his idea, based on looking at maps, the book says it was actually the brainchild of Estée Lauder cosmetics heir Ronald Lauder. MEGA “He discussed it with Trump from the early days of the presidency and offered himself as a back channel to the Danish government to negotiate,” the book purports. At the time, officials for Greenland quickly declared that the island was most definitely not for sale. Nevertheless, Trump’s interest was enough, according to the book, to move former National Security Advisor John Bolton to have aide Fiona Hill put together a team to brainstorm ideas. “They engaged in secret talks with Denmark’s ambassador and produced an options memo,” the book stated, according to the New York Times. The details about Trump’s interest in Greenland are some of the newest revelations revealed this week from upcoming books about his time in the White House. RadarOnline.com previously reported that a new book details Trump’s refusal to leave the White House in the days after he lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden. MEGA View the full article

Published by The Detroit News DETROIT — As a boy, Shuhei Komatsu loved Star Wars movies, especially the lightning-fast land speeders. So when he grew up, he decided to make one of his own, he said. “I wanted to make something from the movie real,” Komatsu said. “It’s a land speeder for the Dark Side.” On Wednesday, he and his AERWINS Technologies company put his vision for a machine that can race above the ground on display at the North American Auto Show in front of Huntington Place in downtown Detroit. It’s the first time the company’s XTURISMO hoverbike has appeared in the U.S., officials said. And at 1 p.m. Thursday, K… Read More View the full article