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How major US stock indexes fared Tuesday, 12/10/2024
Cook Inlet Region, Inc. Announces Purchase of OSC EdgeRomania's pro-European Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu was leading in the first round of presidential elections Sunday according to exit polls, with the far right not yet assured of a place in the second round, despite a breakthrough in support. With 25 percent of the vote according to two exit polls, Ciolacu appeared to be well ahead of far-right challengers looking to capitalise on this EU member's concerns about inflation and the war in neighbouring Ukraine. The same exit polls gave second place to centre-right former journalist turned small-town mayor Elena Lasconi at 18 percent, with two far-right candidates scoring 15 and 16 percent. In the absence of an outright winner in the first round -- scoring more than 50 percent -- the top two candidates go through to a second-round run-off in the poor NATO member on December 8. Ciolacu, a Social Democrat, is leading a field of 13 contenders in the race to take over from President Klaus Iohannis in the largely ceremonial post. He welcomed the exit polls putting him in the lead, but said all the votes would have to be counted before he knew who he would face in the second round. Lasconi too, was cautious. "The scores are very tight, it's not yet time to celebrate," said the 52-year-old politician. Far-right leader George Simion, 38, who some had forecast might take second place, is for the moment in fourth. Exit polls put him just behind the 62-year-old pro-Russian candidate Calin Georgescu. But Simion said Sunday evening: "We'll see the results of the ballot boxes at 11:00 pm (2100 GMT)." Ciolacu's party has shaped Romania's politics for more than three decades, and as he voted Sunday he promised stability and a "decent" standard of living. But political analyst Cristian Parvulescu told AFP: "The far right is by far the big winner of this election." Simion saw his popularity surge by tapping into voter anger over record inflation while promising more affordable housing. Looking for a new election breakthrough for European far-right parties, Simion warned of possible "fraud" and "foreign interference" when voting. But he added: "I am happy that we are giving Romanians hope and the prospect of a better future." The stakes are high for Romania, which has a 650-kilometre (400-mile) border with Ukraine and has become more important since Russia invaded its neighbour in 2022. The Black Sea nation now plays a "vital strategic role" for NATO -- as it is a base for more than 5,000 soldiers -- and the transit of Ukrainian grain, the New Strategy Center think tank said. Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election has further "complicated" Romania's choice, political analyst Cristian Pirvulescu told AFP. Known for his fiery speeches, Simion is a Trump fan who sometimes dons a red cap in appreciation of his idol. Simion opposes sending military aid to Ukraine, wants a "more patriotic Romania" and frequently lashes out against what he calls the "greedy corrupt bubble" running the European Union. Having campaigned hard to win over Romania's large diaspora working abroad, he said the country had only "minions and cowards as leaders". Pirvulescu predicted that if Simion reached the second round his AUR party would get a boost in the December parliamentary election. "Romanian democracy is in danger for the first time since the fall of communism in 1989," he said. "I'm really afraid we'll end up with Simion in the second round," 36-year-old IT worker Oana Diaconu told AFP, expressing concern about the far-right leader's unpredictable nature and attacks on the European Union. The campaign was marked by controversy and personal attacks, with Simion facing accusations of meeting with Russian spies -- a claim he has denied. Ciolacu has been criticised for his use of private jets. Some observers had tipped Lasconi, now mayor of the small town of Campulung and head of a centre-right opposition party, as a surprise package. Sunday's exit polls appeared to suggest they were right. During campaigning, she had said she wanted a future "where no one has to pack their suitcases and leave" the country and for "institutions that work". bur/js-jj/
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Minister for Textiles and Handlooms R. Gandhi on Sunday said that neither was an announcement made nor a government order issued to bring handloom weaving units under the ambit of professional tax. In a statement, he dismissed AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s claims of professional tax being levied on handloom units as untrue. A communication from the Directorate of Municipal Administration, dated November 6, instructed local body authorities to identify commercial and residential users by comparing with the list of electricity connection details from the Electricity Board. However, no professional tax per square foot has been fixed, he added. Highlighting a slew of schemes, he said that since the DMK government came to power, it was focusing on the welfare of the weavers and condemned Mr. Palaniswami for making “baseless and politically motivated” statements. Mr. Palaniswami should refrain from making such remarks, Mr. Gandhi said. Published - November 25, 2024 12:43 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit
Kremlin critic and Pulitzer Prize winning writer Vladimir Kara-Murza received the award which is in honour of the late US senator John McCain (AP Photo/Rob Gillies) A Canadian security forum has presented an award to British-Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was freed from prison earlier this year in a massive prisoner exchange. The Halifax International Security Forum presents the award annually in honour of US senator John McCain, who died in 2018, to “individuals from any country who have demonstrated uncommon leadership in the pursuit of human justice”. The forum attracts military officials, United States senators, diplomats and scholars. “I am humbled beyond words to be receiving this prize, but I view it first and foremost as your recognition of all my fellow Russian citizens who have the courage to stand up to Putin’s regime and to call out his murderous war in Ukraine in full knowledge what the price of that will be,” Mr Kara-Murza said. Mr McCain was a regular at the forum and his son, Jack McCain, presented Mr Kara-Murza with the award. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Mr Kara-Murza was a pallbearer at Mr McCain’s funeral. “It was described as his last dig at Vladimir Putin,” Jack McCain said. Mr Kara-Murza was freed in the massive prisoner exchange earlier this year with the West – the largest since the Cold War. He had been imprisoned in Russia since April 2022 and was convicted of treason for denouncing the war in Ukraine. He rose to prominence as a journalist and did columns as a contributor for The Washington Post from his prison cell. He won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary earlier this year. In 2015 and 2017, he suffered two near-fatal poisonings and developed polyneuropathy, a condition that deadens the feeling in his limbs. He blamed the poisonings on Russian authorities. Mr Kara-Murza rejected the charges against him as punishment for standing up to Mr Putin. Past winners of the John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service have included the people of Hong Kong for their “fight for their rights in the face of oppression from the government of China” and the people of Lesbos, Greece, “for their valiant actions to rescue refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East”. A Navy pilot, John McCain was shot down over North Vietnam in 1967. He was captured, beaten and held prisoner for more than five years, refusing to be released before other American service members. “Like Senator McCain, Kara-Murza was willing to stand up for his beliefs even if it came at the price of his freedom,” said Peter Van Praagh, the president of the Halifax International Security Forum.5 non-tendered players the Blue Jays should immediately be targeting - Jays Journal