Washington, DC – The United States House of Representative has gotten back to work after Republican legislators united to resolve a gruelling deadlock over who would be the next speaker, the chamber’s presiding officer. But Democrats are warning that a Republican-controlled House with an empowered far-right contingency could spell trouble not only for President Joe Biden’s agenda but also for the basic functions of the US government. Newly appointed Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy presided over the chamber on Monday as lawmakers passed a rules package to govern the House for the next two years — guidelines that Democrats argued will…
Author: National Tone
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has joined the ownership group of the Kansas City Current of the National Women’s Soccer League. Mahomes’ wife, Brittany, was one of the founding owners of the team, along with Angie and Chris Long of Kansas City-based Palmer Square Capital Management. “We are so thrilled to make this a family affair and have Patrick join as an owner,” Brittany Mahomes said in a statement. “He has been a huge supporter behind-the-scenes. His passion for the Current is undeniable and I am glad that he will be with us as we continue on our journey…
Marquez, an environmental activist who survived an attempt on her life in 2019, says explosive found near home.Colombian Vice President Francia Marquez, who was elected on a history-making ticket in August, has said her security detail has foiled an assassination attempt close to her home. On Twitter on Tuesday, Marquez, the country’s first Afro-Colombian vice president, said her security had carried out “the deactivation and destruction of a high-capacity explosive device” in the road leading to her family home in the village of Yolombo in Colombia’s southwest. Marquez said the device contained more than seven kilogrammes (15.4 lbs) of explosive…
The Toronto Blue Jays acquired right-hander Zach Thompson from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday in exchange for minor-league outfielder Chavez Young. .acf-block-preview .instagram-twitter-container width: 340px; margin: 0 auto; Thompson made 22 starts for Pittsburgh last season. The six-foot-seven, 250-pounder was 3-10 with a 5.18 earned-run average over 29 appearances. The 29-year-old native of Burleson, Texas, was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2014. He made his big-league debut in 2021 with the Miami Marlins. In 55 career appearances — including 36 starts — Thompson is 6-17 with a 4.44 ERA. Young, 25, split last season between Single-A Dunedin and…
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, A vandalised painting depicting a political figure lies on a room at the National CongressBy Aoife Walsh and Daniel Gallas BBC NewsWhen thousands of rioters ransacked Brazil’s monumental government buildings on Sunday, political leaders condemned the grave attack on the country’s democratic fabric.In waves of green and yellow, thousands of far-right supporters of Brazil’s ex-leader, Jair Bolsonaro, wreaked havoc on Congress, the Supreme Court and Presidential Palace in Brasilia, leaving a trail of destruction behind them.But the three buildings also held a rich collection of art, some of which suffered irreparable damage. The government has…
Nick Kyrgios took a cheeky dig at his critics after tickets for Friday’s practice match with Serb Novak Djokovic sold out in 58 minutes, proving the Australian’s huge box office draw.Kyrgios had pulled out of the United Cup with an injury just minutes before his pre-tournament press conference, drawing the ire of Australian co-captain Lleyton Hewitt, his team-mates and the media. The 27-year-old has not played since October and an ankle injury forced him to skip warm-up tournaments in Adelaide as well, before Djokovic offered to play him in a practice match that will be played at Melbourne’s Rod Laver…
China has suspended issuing short-term visas for South Korean and Japanese nationals, its embassies in Seoul and Tokyo said on Tuesday, in an apparent retaliation against COVID-19 restrictions imposed on Chinese travellers in the wake of a spike in coronavirus cases in the country. Seoul and Tokyo joined more than a dozen countries that have imposed new travel curbs on arrivals from China over concerns about rising infections after Beijing changed its stringent “Zero COVID” policy last month following widespread protests. Beijing says the restrictions on its nationals are discriminatory and not based on science. “Chinese embassies and consulates in…
Top Russian generals pledge to bolster the Russian army amid criticism of military failures.President Vladimir Putin’s defence minister has pledged to build a deeper arsenal of weapons, bolster aviation technology to better evade air defences and improve drone production after a series of battlefield humiliations in Ukraine. Since Putin sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, the once mighty army of a former superpower has been repeatedly outwitted and outmanoeuvred by the smaller Ukrainian army, which is supported by the United States and its European allies. The conflict has turned into a grinding war of attrition that has killed and…
Former Barcelona and Brazil defender Dani Alves is under investigation over an allegation that he sexually assaulted a woman in a nightclub in Spain last month, Catalonia’s Supreme Court said on Tuesday.Alves denies any wrongdoing.The court in Barcelona said in a statement it had opened proceedings “for an alleged crime of sexual assault as a result of the complaint filed by a woman for events that allegedly occurred in a nightclub in Barcelona last month”.The statement did not specifically name Alves but a court spokeswoman confirmed to Reuters he was the subject of the complaint. She said the case was…
Shehbaz Sharif lauds the ‘show of solidarity’ after flood-hit Pakistan secures a pledge of more than $10bn from the international community.Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan has managed to secure more than $10bn in pledges from the international community to rebuild itself after the widespread devastation caused by last year’s floods, which submerged a third of the country and killed more than 1,700 people. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday hosted the one-day International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan in Geneva, which was also attended by several heads of state and officials from global financial institutions. In…