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German and Israeli officials have condemned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for comments he made about Jews and the Nazi Holocaust in a speech. Mr Abbas said Adolf Hitler ordered the mass murder of Jews because of their "social role" as moneylenders, rather than out of animosity to Judaism. Israel's ambassador to the UN accused him of "pure antisemitism". "History is clear," Germany's Ramallah mission said. "Millions of lives were erased - this cannot be relativized." "We strive to promote a dignified and accurate memory of the victims." The German ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, added: "The Palestinians deserve to hear the historical truth from their leader, not such distortions." Hitler used the Jewish people as a scapegoat for Germany's ills. He also considered them an inferior race which had to be exterminated. The Palestinian president, who is 87, has previously been denounced by Jewish groups as a Holocaust denier for his doctoral thesis on the Nazis and Zionism. Yet over the years, he has continued to give long, rambling speeches expounding his offensive views. His address to the Fatah Revolutionary Council was made last month and later aired on Palestine TV. His remarks were then translated and publicised by the Middle East Media Research Institute on Wednesday. The translation has been verified by BBC News. "They say that Hitler killed the Jews for being Jews, and that Europe hated the Jews because they were Jews. No. It was clearly explained that they fought them because of their social role and not their religion," Mr Abbas says at one point. Later, he specifies that he was referring to the role of Jews involving "usury, money and so on". FULL STORY

Just saying youve been hacked doesnt say an awful lot. What are your issues and do you have back-ups of your site etc ?

India or Bharat? As the history books show, this is a question that goes back centuries. As India prepares to host the G20 summit this weekend, state-issued invitations sent to world leaders using the word “Bharat” have ignited rumours that Narendra Modi’s nationalist government might plan to phase out the English name. Some have declared it a triumphant move to finally throw off colonial chains, others have called it a disastrous vanity project by the prime minister. In 1947, when British rule was finally overthrown, India ostensibly had three coexisting names, each with its own history, connotation and legitimacy. There was India, a name thought to have its origins in Sanskrit, referring to the Indus River that runs through the north of the country. It was first used in different iterations by the Persians, the ancient Greeks and Romans more than 2,000 years ago and was widely adopted by British maps in the 18th century to refer to the territory in the subcontinent under British rule. There was Hindustan, the name used by the Persians, the Greeks, Delhi sultans and the Mughals for hundreds of years to refer to a large stretch of the north and centre of the subcontinent. Finally there was Bharat, a name that is traced back to an ancient Sanskrit text, the Rig Veda – written around 1500BC – which mentions the Bharata clan as one of the principal tribes occupying an area now known as north India. It is also the name of a legendary king that appears in the Sanskrit epic the Mahabharata, who Hindus claim was the father of the Indian racFor Jawaharlal Nehru, the anti-colonial leader who would go on to be India’s first prime minister, his country was all three. In his seminal book, The Discovery of India, written in 1944 after being jailed by the British, he stated: “Often, as I wandered from meeting to meeting, I spoke to my audiences of this India of ours, of Hindustan and of Bharata, the old Sanskrit name derived from the mythical founders of the race.” FULL STORY

A Canadian trans teacher who became infamous for wearing massive prosthetic Z-cup breasts to class was photographed arriving to school dressed as a man. Kayla Lemieux has claimed to be suffering from a condition called "gigantomastia," which is a "rare condition" during which one's breasts "become excessively large," according to the Cleveland Clinic. But when Lemieux arrived to Nora Frances Henderson Secondary School in Hamilton, Ontario, for a planning day before students arrive on Tuesday, the teacher was dressed as a man and ditched the massive breasts. Lemieux was spotted by photographers driving a Mazda SUV, and the New York Post reported the teacher was "given a police escort" to the school. Lemieux was sporting a noticeable beard. TRANS TEACHER KNOWN FOR MASSIVE PROSTHETIC BREASTS RETURNING TO CANADIAN CLASSROOM Follow the links provided for more.

Special counsel David Weiss will seek to indict Hunter Biden before the end of this month, the prosecutor said in a court filing updating a judge on his investigation into the president’s son’s failure to pay taxes. “The Speedy Trial Act requires that the Government obtain the return of an indictment by a grand jury by Friday, September 29, 2023, at the earliest,” Weiss wrote. “The Government intends to seek the return of an indictment in this case before that date.” The filing from Weiss comes as a plea deal with Biden fell apart before it could be approved by a judge. Biden was prepared to plead guilty to two counts of willful failure to pay taxes as well as enter a diversion program relating to a failure to acknowledge drug use when purchasing a gun. But the agreement collapsed as it was reviewed by a judge, with prosecutors and attorneys for Biden left unclear of the extent the president’s son would be immune to prosecution on other matters. Weiss — the U.S. attorney for Delaware who was shortly thereafter appointed as a special counsel in the case — subsequently notified the court he may seek to file charges against Biden in other venues, including Washington, D.C., and California. Both locations were pointed to by IRS officials who have since spoken with congressional investigators as whistleblowers as locations where the Justice Department was able to gather stronger evidence of tax crimes. FULL STORY

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) vowed Wednesday to keep his job as Senate Republican leader at least through 2024 and to finish his seventh Senate term, which runs through 2026, despite recent health problems. “I have no announcements to make on that subject,” McConnell, who is 81, told reporters when asked about calls from fellow conservatives to step down as Senate Republican leader. “I’m going to finish my term as leader and I’m going to finish my Senate term,” McConnell declared. He made his statement after the National Review, a high-profile conservative magazine, called on McConnell in an editorial last week to “step aside.” “McConnell has noticeably aged since his bad fall in March, when he sustained a concussion and a broken rib, and he should want, for his own sake and that of his colleagues, to go out on his own terms,” the magazine’s editors wrote Aug. 31. Longtime political commentator Bill O’Reilly, a former Fox News anchor, also said Aug. 31 that “McConnell should resign tomorrow.” McConnell pointed to a letter from the Capitol’s attending physician, Dr. Brian Monahan, when asked by reporters Wednesday to discuss two recent incidents when he froze while speaking to television cameras. FULL STORY

A judge denied a request Wednesday from attorneys representing former President Donald Trump, his family and his business to delay a business fraud trial in New York scheduled for Oct. 2 in New York. Judge Arthur Engoron’s ruling came a day after the aforementioned attorneys’ request. New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) brought the charges against Trump, his family and his business last year, claiming that the former president inflated his net worth by as much as $2.2 billion for lower taxes and better insurance coverage. “While this is just the tip of a much larger iceberg of deception Plaintiff is prepared to expose at trial — which would result in carving off billions more from Mr. Trump’s net worth — it is more than sufficient to permit this Court to rule as a matter of law that each [statement of financial conditions] from 2011 to 2021 was false or misleading,” James wrote. A later appeals court ruling released Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, from the suit. The ruling also found some of the business fraud counts fall outside the statute of limitations under New York law. Trump’s attorneys accused James of ignoring the appeals court decision and asked for a possible delay until a judge considered both sides’ motions for summary judgment. “A trial of this magnitude should not begin in chaos,” the Tuesday filing from Trump’s legal team read. “The Court and the Defendants are entitled to know the claims and issues to be tried sufficiently in advance to prepare adequately for trial.” FULL STORY

A Yamaha baby grand piano used by late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury to compose some of the group's most iconic hits sold at auction for £1.7m. The final sale came slightly below estimates but was nonetheless a record for a composer's piano, auctioneers Sotheby's said. Thousands of items belonging to Mercury were sold during a live auction on Wednesday after weeks on display. Several further auctions, including two live sessions, are to follow. Items to sell early in the auction included the door of his Garden Lodge home in west London for £412,750, including buyer's premium and fees - far in excess of the £15,000-25,000 estimate. Mercury fronted the UK band whose mix of glam rock, heavy metal and camp theatrics made them one of the most popular bands of the 1970s. FULL STORY

US President Joe Biden's administration has cancelled oil and gas leases in an Alaskan wildlife refuge. The interior department said revoking the drilling leases granted under ex-President Donald Trump would preserve 13 million acres of wilderness. But Mr Biden has not reversed his recent approval of an $8bn (£6.4bn) drilling project in the same region. The refuge is home to grizzly and polar bears, caribou and migratory birds - and an estimated 11bn barrels of oil. "We have a responsibility to protect this treasured region for all ages," Mr Biden, a Democrat, said in a statement on Wednesday. The decision would protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, he said, and honour "the culture, history, and enduring wisdom of Alaska Natives who have lived on these lands since time immemorial". The decision drew praise from some local tribespeople. The Arctic Village and Venetie Tribal governments said it was "a significant step towards true, meaningful protection of these lands that are so vital to the survival of our people now and into the future". But Republicans in the state said the move would harm Alaska Native groups who might have benefited economically from the drilling projects. Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan said at the US Capitol in Washington DC: "[Biden administration officials] love to talk about racial equity, racial justice, environmental justice, taking care of people of colour, but one big exception - the Indigenous people of Alaska. They screw them every time." FULL STORY

Mexico's supreme court has decriminalised abortion nationwide. The judgement comes two years after the court ruled in favour of a challenge to the existing law in the northern state of Coahuila. It had ruled that criminal penalties for terminating pregnancies were unconstitutional. Mexico's states and the federal government had since been slow to repeal penal codes. The new ruling legalises abortion across all 32 states. The supreme court said the denial of the possibility of a termination violated the human rights of women. "In cases of rape, no girl can be forced to become a mother - neither by the state nor by her parents nor her guardians," said the head of the supreme court, Arturo Zaldívar. "Here, the violation of her rights is more serious, not only because of her status as a victim, but also because of her age, which makes it necessary to analyse the issue from the perspective of the best interests of minors." The judgement opens the door for the federal healthcare system to provide abortions. It has been welcomed by women's rights groups. Mexico City was the first of the country's states to decriminalise abortion in 2007 and a dozen others followed suit. But in addition to a lack of facilities to carry out the procedure, "many women don't know that they have this right because local governments have not carried out publicity campaigns about it", women's rights activist Sara Lovera told AFP news agency. "That's why today's decision of the Supreme Court is important." FULL STORY

California's legislature has become the first in the US to approve a bill banning caste discrimination. Legislators said the measure would protect people of South Asian descent who allege unfair treatment. The governor must now decide whether to sign the bill into law. Seattle became the first US city to ban caste discrimination in February. The caste system in India dates back over 3,000 years and divides Hindu society into rigid hierarchical groups. The measure, which passed on Tuesday by 31-5, was sponsored by Democratic state senator Aisha Wahab, who said it would add caste as a protected category in the state's anti-discrimination laws alongside gender, race, religion and disability. The divisive debate over California's anti-caste bill Seattle becomes first US city to ban caste discrimination Why the West is reckoning with caste bias now "We shined a light on a long-hidden form of discrimination thousands of years old, invisible shackles on the wrist of millions of people," said Ms Wahab, who is the first Muslim and Afghan-American woman elected to the state legislature. Five Republican state senators voted against the legislation, arguing that discrimination was already illegal under state law. FULL STORY

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6 Ways to Stay in Thailand for the Long-Term [Free Guide] So you’ve decided to stay in Thailand long term. Whether your reasons are for family, work, or you simply love the country, you’re curious about how to move forward. Below are six ways you can stay in Thailand long term, ordered from the most familiar to more unconventional options. Each visa category is broken down by key decision factors, such as length of stay, core requirements, and price. While this article is by no means exhaustive, it will provide you a quick way to explore your long-stay choices. 1. Non-Immigrant O Retirement visa Most expats are likely familiar with Non-Immigrant O Retirement visas, often referred to simply as Retirement visas. Who is it best for? If you are 50 or older, want a relatively easy-to-obtain visa, and price is a key consideration, a Retirement visa is your best option to stay in Thailand long term. Compared to all visas with the exception of Elite, it requires the least paperwork. Length of stay 1–5 years Must file 90-day reports Ability to work No Key requirements Age of 50 or older A minimum of THB 800,000 in your Thai bank account for two months or longer, or a THB 65,000 monthly income (can be from a pension) Price THB2,000–10,000 2. Non-Immigrant O Marriage visa The technical name for this visa is a Non-Immigrant O Dependent visa. While it can be applied for to stay with a spouse, a child, or an adopted child, it’s often granted to foreigners wishing to stay with their Thai spouses, hence the popular name Marriage visa. Who is it best for? If you are married to a Thai national and are interested in working in the Kingdom, then a Marriage visa is probably your best option to stay long term. Length of stay 1 year, with possibility to extend for another year indefinitely Must file 90-day reports Ability to work Yes Key requirements A minimum of THB 400,000 in your Thai bank account for two months or longer, or a THB 40,000 monthly income Married to a Thai national Price THB2,000–5,000 3. Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa Introduced in September 2022, the Long-Term Resident visa (LTR) is for “work from anywhere” professionals and wealthy individuals. The three most popular LTR visa classes are Wealthy Global Citizen, Wealthy Pensioner, and Work-From-Thailand Professional (remote worker). Who is it best for? If you are interested in making Thailand your second home or are curious to see if you’ll enjoy living in the Kingdom for several years, the LTR visa offers one of the more affordable options on this list. It also comes with perks, like the ability to use Airport Fast Track Service, report to immigration once a year (instead of filing 90-day reports), and fly in and out of Thailand without a re-entry permit. Length of stay The initial visa is for 5 years and can be extended for an additional 5 years for a total stay length of up to 10 years. Ability to work Yes Key requirements All visa classes require a minimum of a $40,000-$80,000 annual income for two years prior to application. The other key LTR visa requirements vary depending on which category you apply for. Below are the major requirements for each type: Work-From-Thailand Professional: You’re currently employed by a public company listed on the stock exchange or a private company that’s been in business for a minimum of three years and has earned at least $150 million during that period. Wealthy Global Citizen: You have at least $1,000,000 in assets and a minimum investment of $500,000 in Thai government bonds, foreign direct investment, or Thai property. Wealthy Pensioner: You are 50 or over and earn $80,000 US dollars of annual passive income. Price THB 50,000 4. Permanent Residency Like its name suggests, Thailand Permanent Residency (PR) makes you a permanent resident of the country, meaning you can stay here for an unlimited period without a visa. Who is it best for? If you envision spending the rest of your life in Thailand, PR is your best choice outside of Thai citizenship. With it, your stay is no longer attached to a visa. This means you no longer have to bother with 90-day reports or annual extensions and your immigration status won’t interfere with your freedom to make choices in your career, business, and life. What’s more, becoming a permanent resident is an important step on your path to citizenship. Length of stay Forever Ability to work Yes Key requirements 3 consecutive years on your current Non-Immigrant visa Paying Thai taxes on an THB 80,000–THB 100,000 monthly salary (if you apply for Permanent Residency under the business category) The ability to carry a basic conversation in Thai for 10–15 minutes Price THB 103,300–199,000 Note: The application window typically opens in October and closes at the end of each calendar year. To set yourself up for success, download our Thailand Permanent Residency Interview Guide. 5. Thai Citizenship The ultimate dream for those who love Thailand and wish to make the country their permanent home, Thai citizenship provides you all the unique benefits that only come with a Thai passport, and then some. Who is it best for? If you plan to spend the rest of your life (or the majority of it) in Thailand and can satisfy the major requirements of PR/marriage and a consistent job, then becoming a Thai citizen is probably your best choice. What’s more, if you really want to set up a life here and own property or become the majority owner of a company, Thai citizenship is your only option. Length of stay Forever Ability to work Yes Key requirements You’ve held Permanent Residency for at least five years or you have a Thai spouse and at least three years of uninterrupted extensions on the same visa. You’ve worked in Thailand for at least three consecutive years and earned a minimum salary of THB 80,000 per month during that period. If you have a Thai spouse, the monthly salary requirement is reduced to THB 40,000 per month. You are able to write and speak Thai. Price THB 10,000 6. Elite Visa The Elite visa is for high-net-worth individuals who don’t mind paying a significant amount in exchange for an easier path to stay in the Kingdom. Who is it best for? If you want your stay in Thailand to be as effortless as possible while receiving VIP treatment and having little immigration obligations, then the Elite visa is your best option. It comes loaded with perks, like limousine pickup to and from the airport, countless promotions on luxury services, and much more. Length of stay 5–20 years 90-day reporting is still required, but a Thai Elite staff member can handle it for you Ability to work No Key requirements A big draw of the Elite visa is the incredibly easy application process. The only noteworthy requirement is that you must pay the entire visa fee upfront. Price THB 600,000–2,140,000 Join our free webinar ???? Beyond the Annual Extension – How to Stay in Thailand for the Long-Term ???? Tuesday, Sep 19, 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM ???? Click here to register Want to learn more? We’ve created a free extended guide that goes into even more detail about each option. Realize your dream: Stay long-term in Thailand While many of the above options have a long list of requirements that can overwhelm the average expat, the application process doesn't have to be time-consuming, confusing, or difficult. Baan Thai can simplify everything. We’ve helped countless expats, just like you, make Thailand their home. In fact, I’ve gone through the exact decision criteria outlined in this article, and now I’m lucky to call Thailand my permanent home. If you’d like help applying for any of the long-term stay options above, contact us today. We can walk you through the entire application process—providing you all documents, clarifying each step, and coaching you through any potential interviews with Thai officials. What’s more, we’ll always be a quick phone call or email away if you have a question or concern. And you’re always welcome to swing by our offices. Make your dream of staying in Thailand long-term a reality. Get in touch today. Mark Friedman Managing Director Baan Thai Immigration Solutions About Baan Thai Immigration Solutions We are an immigration-focused international law firm based in Bangkok with over 70 years of combined legal experience. Our team of bilingual counselors are experts at helping expats make Thailand their home. If you’re in need of friendly, professional advice, don’t hesitate to contact us. Phone: +66-93-498-5955 Website: https://btisolutions.co Email: [email protected] Read Google Reviews Address: 208 Wireless Road Building (Suite 1102) 208 Wireless Road Lumphini Sub-District Pathum Wan District, Bangkok 10330 Thailand Map and directions

More than 4 in 10 Republican-aligned voters in a new CNN poll expressed serious concern with the recent charges and indictments against former President Trump. The poll published Tuesday found that 44 percent of Republican-aligned voters said they are “seriously concerned” Trump’s criminal charges will impact his ability to be elected in 2024 if chosen as the GOP nominee, while 56 percent were not seriously concerned. When asked if Trump’s criminal charges will negatively affect his ability to serve another full term as president if reelected, 32 percent of GOP-aligned respondents expressed serious concern with 68 percent not concerned. And asked if the former president’s current legal troubles will greatly affect his ability to be an effective president if elected to the position, 35 percent of Republican-aligned respondents expressed serious concern. The poll comes as Trump along with 18 of his allies were indicted last month by a Georgia grand jury on charges tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Trump, who announced his third presidential campaign last November, has been hit with three other indictments this year relating to to his business dealings, handling of classified documents and actions following the 2020 election. Despite his legal woes, Trump is still the heavy favorite to win the GOP presidential nomination in 2024. Just more than 50 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they are most likely to support Trump as their party’s top candidate, while Trump’s challenger, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), received 18 percent of support, according to the poll. FULL STORY

For decades, runaway Medicare spending was the story of the federal budget. Now, flat Medicare spending might be a bigger one. Something strange has been happening in this giant federal program. Instead of growing and growing, as it always had before, spending per Medicare beneficiary has nearly leveled off over more than a decade. The trend can be a little hard to see because, as baby boomers have aged, the number of people using Medicare has grown. But it has had enormous consequences for federal spending. Budget news often sounds apocalyptic, but the Medicare trend has been unexpectedly good for federal spending, saving taxpayers a huge amount relative to projections. “Without a doubt, this is the most important thing that has happened to the federal budget in the last 20 years,” said David Cutler, a professor of health policy and medicine at Harvard, who helped the Obama White House develop the Affordable Care Act. Some of the reductions are easy to explain. Congress changed Medicare policy. The biggest such shift came with the Affordable Care Act in 2010, which reduced Medicare’s payments to hospitals and to health insurers that offered private Medicare Advantage plans. Congress also cut Medicare payments as part of a budget deal in 2011. But most of the savings can’t be attributed to any obvious policy shift. In a recent letter to the Senate Budget Committee, economists at the Congressional Budget Office described the huge reductions in its Medicare forecasts between 2010 and 2020. Most of those reductions came from a category the budget office calls “technical adjustments,” which it uses to describe changes to public health and the practice of medicine itself. Older Americans appear to be having fewer heart attacks and strokes, the likely result of effective cholesterol and blood pressure medicines that became cheap and widely used in recent years, according to research from Cutler and colleagues. And drugmakers and surgeons haven’t developed as many new blockbuster treatments recently — there has been no new Prozac or angioplasty to drive up spending. (Medicare is currently barred by statute from covering the new class of expensive anti-obesity drugs.) FULL STORY

Former President Trump is vowing to end the “madness” of the Biden administration’s push for electric vehicles — a likely appeal to voters in the swing state of Michigan. In a pair of Truth Social posts Monday evening, Trump took aim at the electric vehicle industry and President Biden’s push for more electric vehicles. With this opposition to electric vehicles, Trump is likely trying to persuade Michigan voters to support him over Biden, who carried the swing state in 2020. “The Great State of Michigan will not have an auto industry anymore if Crooked Joe Biden’s crazed concept of ‘all Electric Cars’ goes into effect,” he wrote in the Truth Social post. “CHINA WILL TAKE IT ALL, 100%. United Auto Workers, VOTE FOR TRUMP. Get your leaders to ENDORSE ME, I WILL KEEP ALL OF THESE GREAT JOBS, AND BRING IN MANY MORE. CHOICE IN SCHOOLS, AND CHOICE IN CARS!!!” In 2021, Michigan was home to more than 175,000 auto manufacturing jobs, according to a report from nonprofit research center Mackinac Center for Public Policy. While that number is still higher than any other state, the report noted it’s also only 37 percent of the jobs Michigan had at its peak. The Biden administration has pushed to boost electric car sales, with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) predicting that two-thirds of new car sales could be electric by 2032 under a new proposal released by the administration earlier this year. Last week, the Energy Department announced plans to invest $12 billion into converting auto manufacturing facilities into plants for hybrid and electric vehicles. FULL STORY

US President Joe Biden has awarded the nation's highest military medal to a Vietnam War helicopter pilot who disregarded a direct order and saved his comrades. Retired Army Captain Larry Taylor, 81, received the Medal of Honor at the White House. In 1968, he flew his Cobra attack chopper into a firefight to rescue four US troops from near certain death. His actions had never before been attempted, the Army says. On the night of 18 June 1968, the long range reconnaissance patrol team that then-1st Lt Taylor saved came under heavy fire and was surrounded by enemy troops outside Ho Chi Minh City. Running low on fuel and ammunition, he made low-level attack runs as the enemy returned intense ground fire for about half an hour. Upon realising that the team's escape route was a death trap, he radioed with a new extraction point. When the men arrived at the location, 1st Lt Taylor landed the helicopter "with complete disregard for his personal safety" to pick up the four troops, the White House said. The men had to cling to the outside of the two-person aircraft as there wasn't room inside. President Biden said at Tuesday's medal ceremony: "The rescue helicopter was not coming. "Instead, Lieutenant Taylor received a direct order: Return to base. His response was just as direct: 'I'm getting my men out. I'm getting my men out.' FULL STORY

"People have been let off the leash," Thomas Mayo says quietly, swiping through screenshots. Racist memes depicting First Nations Australians as "grifters", "wife beaters" and "primitives" flash across his phone. Then, personal threats appear - accusing him of "providing cover for evil". Mr Mayo is one of the public faces of the Yes campaign in Australia's historic Voice to Parliament referendum, to be held on 14 October. If successful, the vote will change the nation's constitution for the first time in 46 years, creating a body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to advise the government on policies affecting their communities. Opinion polls had long shown support for the change but now suggest the No vote is leading. Though some argue the shift reflects public sentiment, Yes campaigners blame it on an ecosystem of disinformation - which they say is being led by figures in the No camp and "amplified" by suspicious accounts on social media. Independent experts say the most "pernicious" and pervasive falsehoods "spreading like wildfire" online concern race. Amid all the noise, concerns are growing over the mental health of First Nations communities, who find themselves at the centre of an increasingly divisive debate. And questions are again being raised over whether Australia is ready to grapple with the open wounds at the heart of its nationhood. FULL STORY

Wagner, the Russian mercenary group, is set to be proscribed as a terrorist group by the UK government - meaning it will be illegal to be a member or support the organisation. A draft order to be laid in Parliament will allow its assets to be categorised as terrorist property and seized. The home secretary said Wagner was "violent and destructive... a military tool of Vladimir Putin's Russia". She said its work in Ukraine and Africa was a "threat to global security". Suella Braverman added: "Wagner's continuing destabilising activities only continue to serve the Kremlin's political goals." "They are terrorists, plain and simple - and this proscription order makes that clear in UK law." Wagner had played a key role in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as well as operating in Syria and countries in Africa including Libya and Mali. Its fighters have been accused of a number crimes including killing and torturing Ukrainian citizens. Is Wagner still a threat to global security? In 2020, the US said Wagner soldiers had planted landmines around the Libyan capital, Tripoli. And in July, the UK said the group had carried out "executions and torture in Mali and the Central African Republic". FULL STORY

The Proud Boys' former leader has been jailed for 22 years for orchestrating the US Capitol riot, the longest sentence so far for a ringleader of the raid on the seat of American democracy. Enrique Tarrio was convicted of seditious conspiracy, a US Civil War-era charge, and other counts in May. Tarrio, 39, was not in Washington during the riot, but helped organise the far-right group's involvement. More than 1,100 people have been arrested on Capitol riot charges. Before he learned his fate on Tuesday, an emotional Tarrio apologised to police and residents of Washington DC for his role in the 6 January 2021 riot, when supporters of then-US President Donald Trump stormed Congress as lawmakers certified Joe Biden's election victory. "I am extremely ashamed and disappointed that they were caused grief and suffering," he told Washington's federal courthouse. "I will have to live with that shame for the rest of my life." Tarrio, wearing an orange jail uniform, added: "I was my own worst enemy. "My hubris convinced me that I was a victim and targeted unfairly." Acknowledging that Mr Trump had lost the November 2020 presidential election, Tarrio said: "I am not a political zealot. "Inflicting harm or changing the results of the election was not my goal. "I didn't think it was even possible to change the results of the election." "Please show me mercy," Tarrio asked the judge. "I ask you that you not take my 40s from me." FULL STORY

As a resident of Florida, I have carried a concealed firearm almost everywhere for years, everywhere, except where it's specifically prohibited by law or by the policies of a specific business. Hanging in my office is a 100% American-made Gadsden flag. For quite a while I voted exclusively for Republicans, including twice for former Donald Trump, and once for Ron DeSantis, in 2018. I was formerly a lifetime member of the NRA — until I renounced my membership. I used to own an AR-15. And I'm here to tell you that Second Amendment mythologies and revisionist history continue to result in needless firearm-related deaths, suffering and trauma. If law-abiding gun owners do not start publicly speaking up, we cannot expect to find solutions to our nation's unacceptable levels of gun-related violence. I understand and appreciate why gun owners — the large majority of whom are law-abiding — are reluctant to risk the slings and arrows of the Republican Party, the conservative media, right-wing pundits and conspiracy theorists and pundits, and perhaps even their friends and family. I ask gun owners this, respectfully: Which is more uncomfortable — the pain of potential ostracization, or the pain of a nonstop loop of stochastic and targeted terrorism, aided and abetted by an endless supply of handguns and rifles, the latter often equipped these days with 30 bone-shattering rounds per magazine? If you're a parent with school-age children, the fear of a Columbine, Parkland or Uvalde-type event is impossible to fully suppress. Last week in Jacksonville, Florida's most-populous city, we saw a ghastly mass shooting perpetrated by a delusional neo-Nazi yearning for the resurrection of the mythical Aryan super-race; in addition to taking his own life, he made his contribution to the ever-growing tabulation of gun-death statistics gun-dead, murdering Anolt Joseph "A.J." Laguerre, 19; Jerrald Gallion, 29; and Angela Michelle Carr, 52. Such a violent death — from machines with the sole purpose of killing so swiftly that their victims are rarely allowed time for the dignity of final breaths — is uniquely American. A victim of any age is of course traumatic for their bereaved, grieving families, but the death of a teenager qualifies as yet another Molochian offering. Jacksonville's mayor, Donna Deegan, took office in July; it took less than two months for her administration to be christened with the blood of gunned-down innocents. Responding to a mass shooting is a rite of passage for every elected executive of virtually every jurisdiction in America. Deegan now joins the club of elected officials whose membership increases daily. FULL STORY

Former President Trump’s legal obligations are becoming increasingly intertwined with his political aspirations, with court dates threatening to split his time and attention in the heart of the 2024 presidential race. Trump is set to go on trial in Washington and New York City next March, right in the middle of the GOP primary calendar, and his opponents have been happy to seize on the conflicts as evidence Trump will be too distracted to take on President Biden. But with Trump’s first trial scheduled for the day before Super Tuesday, there is also the question of whether the former president may have effectively clinched the Republican nomination by the time his court dates begin in earnest. “He can’t have it wrapped up, meaning he can’t be the presumptive nominee, per se, but I think if he were to win the first four contests by wide margins, he could be seen as the likely nominee,” said Sean Spicer, a former Trump White House press secretary and former Republican National Committee spokesperson. Spicer said a Trump romp through Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada could make it difficult for a rival candidate to secure the necessary funding from donors to continue in the race. “But I think there’s a lot of candidates that, depending on how they fare in the first four states, can say, ‘Screw it, I’m going to keep going for another week or two and see what happens,’” Spicer added. FULL STORY