Breaking
Supperious.com
Author

admin

Browsing
World News

Volcano erupts in Russia after 7.0-magnitude earthquake, sending ash column 5 miles high

A volcano has erupted following a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck off Russia’s east coast, spurting a column of ash miles into the air, according to state-run media.

The Shiveluch volcano is around 280 miles from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a coastal city with a population of about 180,000 that lies in Russia’s eastern region of Kamchatka.

“According to visual evaluations, the ash column is rising as high as 8 kilometers (5 miles) above the sea level,” TASS reported Sunday morning local time, adding the volcano had released a gush of lava.

There are no reports of people injured, TASS said.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quake’s epicenter was about 55 miles from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and had a depth of about 30 miles.

No “major damage” was caused by the quake, TASS reported, however, “buildings are now being examined for potential damage, with special attention paid to social facilities.”

The Russian Emergencies Ministry did not issue a tsunami warning due to the tremor, TASS reported.

Earlier, the US Tsunami Warning System had warned that “hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within 300km [approx 186 miles] of the epicenter along the coasts of Russia.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Keep Reading
By
Science

X ‘closes operations’ in Brazil after row with supreme court justice

Social media company X says it will close its operations in Brazil, after claiming a judge on the country’s supreme court threatened to arrest its legal representative in Brazil if the company did not comply with his orders.

X, formerly Twitter, said it was removing its remaining staff in Brazil “effective immediately” though the service will still be available there.

The company, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has already clashed with the justice in question, Alexandre de Moraes, over free speech, far-right accounts, and misinformation on X.

In April, Mr de Moraes ordered an investigation into chief executive Mr Musk over the dissemination of defamatory fake news and another probe over possible obstruction, incitement and criminal organisation.

His most recent orders amounted to censorship, X said, and an account claiming to be X’s global government affairs shared a copy of the supposed document in question.

The Supreme Court’s press office has not yet commented or confirmed the veracity of the document.

Mr Musk published several posts about Mr de Moraes on X on Saturday night, including one which likened the justice to the Harry Potter villain Voldemort.

Brazil’s political right has long characterised Mr de Moraes as overstepping in his role to clamp down on free speech and engage in political persecution.

He has aggressively pursued those he views as undermining Brazil’s young democracy including investigating former president Jair Bolsonaro and ordering the arrest of his supporters who stormed government buildings in January 2023.

This post appeared first on sky.com

Keep Reading
By
Science

Supermoon set to rise this week: Top tips for amateur photographers

A supermoon will rise over the horizon on Monday night.

Supermoons occur when a full moon rises during its closest point in its orbit to the Earth. They look huge, bright… and very photogenic.

So where do you start if you want to begin snapping the night sky?

Welsh astrophotographer Dafydd Wynn Morgans has been photographing the universe for years, making the most of the dark skies above the Cambrian mountains.

It’s an area known for its astrotourism, with stargazers heading to the area’s “astrotrail” – nine Dark Sky Discovery Sites where it’s possible to see deep into space because of the lack of light pollution.

“I feel a little bit honoured and privileged to be able to go out at night,” says Dayfdd, talking to Sky News from a picturesque campsite outside Llanddewi Brefi village.

He was out photographing all night, taking advantage of the clear sky but he’s still upbeat: “It is quite emotional sometimes when I sit back and think how lucky I am.”

So here are some top tips on how to start taking photographs of the night sky.

Get to know your local area’s darkest spots

“Seek out somewhere where you live which has minimal light pollution,” says Dafydd.

“Somebody once said, ‘Only in the darkness can you see the stars’ and it’s true. If there’s bright lights everywhere, you won’t see the stars, the planets, the galaxies.”

Plan ahead as to where you’re going to spend the night – make sure it is safe and you’re allowed to be there, and let someone know where you’re going.

He also recommends taking a flask of coffee to keep yourself awake.

“You need to plan,” Dafydd says. “It’s not like going down to the shop to buy a pint of milk.”

If you’re somewhere remote where people might not expect to see a person wandering around, it’s a good idea to let residents know you’ll be there.

“I go knocking on any doors during the day to tell people that in the middle of the night, someone might appear on a hill opposite their property.

“I’ve learned – my first ever mistake was going somewhere with a group of us with red head torches and the police turning up.”

A local resident had spotted the red lights, used to help preserve the eyes’ night adaptation, and thought there was a rave happening on top of the hill.

Give stargazing a go first

“Get to understand what you can see in the night sky. What are you looking at?” he says.

This will help you understand where to look in the sky, the speed at which things move and the kind of celestial events you’re most interested in.

There are lots of stargazing apps you can use to understand what you’re looking at – although make sure your screen brightness is down so you can still see in the dark!

If you’re stargazing, Dafydd says to bring some nice, warm clothing and a blanket to lie on instead of craning your head back to look.

“If you’re lying down, you’ve got a cinematic seat under the cosmos.”

Try using your phone to snap some pictures

Although a fancy camera will give you more options, Dafydd says you can start with your phone and still get great results without having to spend lots of money.

“A lot of the smartphones these days have camera technology in them that can allow you to take wonderful photographs of stars, the Milky Way, the aurora borealis and the moon,” he says.

Put your camera or phone on a tripod to make sure it stays still. If you move or shake the camera during this time, you’ll get a blurry shot.

Play around with increasing your exposure and ISO – both are usually available in smartphones’ pro mode. Doing that will let more light in, which will make it possible to see what is in the sky.

“If you really get into it, you can decide then to invest some money on a good camera, a good lens, a good tripod, a remote control and a head torch as well,” says Dafydd.

“And then all of a sudden, you’ve opened yourself into a new galaxy of experiences.”

Just remember to check you’ve got everything before you head off into the night, he warns.

“Once, I travelled three hours and I had forgotten to put the memory cards in the camera…”

This post appeared first on sky.com

Keep Reading
By
Science

First UK military spy satellite launched that captures daytime images of Earth’s surface

The first UK military satellite which can capture daytime images and videos of the Earth’s surface has successfully launched into space.

The “cutting-edge” satellite – named Tyche – is part of a Ministry of Defence (MoD) programme that aims to support military operations as well as natural disaster and environmental monitoring, mapping information development, and tracking the climate change impact.

Tyche was launched on Friday from a Falcon 9 rocket owned by SpaceX, the company co-founded by billionaire X owner Elon Musk.

The MoD said the launch is the first step in a future constellation of satellites that will seek to strengthen the UK’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

Maria Eagle, minister for defence procurement and industry, said: “Tyche will provide essential intelligence for military operations as well as supporting wider tasks across government.

“Tyche also shows the UK’s commitment to support innovation in science and technology, stimulating growth across the sector and supporting highly skilled jobs in the UK.”

Tyche, which is about the size of a washing machine, was designed and built in the UK through a £22m contract awarded to Surrey Satellites Technology Limited (SSTL) and is the first to be fully owned by the MoD.

The MoD said the war in Ukraine had shown that the use of space is “crucial to military operations”.

SSTL received the first signals from Tyche a few hours after lift-off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, confirming the successful launch.

The 150kg satellite will operate in low-Earth orbit over a five-year lifespan.

Major General Paul Tedman, UK space commander, said: “This is a fabulous day for UK space.

“The successful launch of Tyche has shown that UK Space Command, and its essential partners across defence and industry, can rapidly take a concept through to the delivery of a satellite capability on orbit.”

This post appeared first on sky.com

Keep Reading
By
Politics

Minority groups in Bangladesh detail violence, mistreatment following government’s collapse: ‘scapegoats’

Members of minority groups in Bangladesh spoke to Fox News Digital about the violence and mistreatment they have faced following the government’s collapse earlier this month, all using false names for fear of reprisal.

Violence, even murder and the burning down of minority-owned businesses, places of worship and residences have been a major problem since the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was overthrown following violent protests. Bangladesh is 90% Muslim, with some Christians but mostly Hindus and Buddhists making up the rest of the population.

Sathya, a Hindu from Chittagong, told Fox News Digital that the Hasina government ‘wasn’t the best’ towards the Hindu minority, pointing out cases of land-grabbing of Hindu homes and temples under her governance, but suggested that they faced better treatment than under other governments – ‘the lesser evil,’ but only when ‘we are out of options.’  

‘Hindus have always been the ‘scapegoats’ and were blamed whenever there was an economic crisis or other political issue that we had no control over,’ Sathya said. Indian outlet the Deccan Herald reported that 278 Hindu-owned locations have been ransacked since Hasina fled the country. 

He claimed that if a Hindu home sat empty, squatters would intrude and start building, and the government and legal system would do little to help protect Hindu land rights. Mobs would walk in and take whatever they wanted, such as furniture, cash and food.

Even within the Muslim community, the Ahmadiya sect has faced persecution from the Sunni majority who call them ‘heretics,’ Ali, told Fox News Digital. ‘Our group has also been increasingly targeted just like the Hindus and other religious minorities.’

A Bangladeshi citizen who now lives in the U.S., says that when he looks at his homeland, he sees ‘no law and order’ and that ‘Hindus have to stay vigilant, especially at night, worried that our homes will be raided and looted.’ 

‘The government seems to not care about minorities,’ he said while withholding his name. ‘A hotline was provided for Hindus to call if they are targeted, but nobody answers the phone number provided.’ 

‘Even though the region in general is a Buddhist minority today, Buddhism originated not far from here in nearby Nepal and has had a very long history here and is one of the major world religions. We wonder why the rest of the world stays silent when we are in such a crisis,’ Rajarshi, told Fox News Digital. 

He felt that the latest violence portrays that any group that is not Sunni is not safe. ‘What’s the use of all of us having fought for independence from Pakistan if we are told we have no place in this country now?’ 

While Christians make up a tiny minority of the country’s population, Fox News Digital recently reported that the organization Open Doors, which tracks discrimination of Christians worldwide, ranked Bangladesh as having ‘very high’ persecution levels, claiming that ‘converts to Christianity face the most severe restrictions, discrimination and attacks.’

‘Religious beliefs are tied to the identity of the community, so turning from the locally dominant faith to following Jesus can result in accusations of betrayal,’ the group wrote on its website. ‘Bangladeshi converts often gather in small house churches due to the risk of attack.’

Earlier this week Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on social media platform X that he had spoken with the country’s interim leader Professor Muhammad Yunus, and the duo had ‘exchanged views on the prevailing situation.’

‘Reiterated India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh,’ Modi wrote. ‘He assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh.’ 

The Washington Post reported that Modi’s government had pressured the United States to ease up on criticism of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the Biden administration complied – even putting plans for further sanctions against the Bangladeshi government on hold. 

The U.S. State Department told Fox News Digital that ‘Our sustained engagement on democracy and human rights in Bangladesh and around the world speaks for itself,’ and added that ‘We do not comment on our private diplomatic communications.’

Bangladesh re-elected Hasina’s Awami League party in January, extending its rule, which had started in 2008, prompting student protests at universities that ultimately spilled out into nationwide demonstrations against the party’s rule. 

Both the party and its leader have faced accusations of ‘iron-fisted’ and authoritarian rule, with many claiming the 2014 and 2018 elections as ‘shams’ since the opposition either boycotted or were reduced to a ‘hopeless minority,’ according to the New Yorker. 

Shrinking employment and high inflation marred the Awami League’s last term, and the economic stress proved too much for many, especially a new policy that implemented a quota for civil service work – thereby withholding coveted jobs in what the protesters claimed was a kleptocratic move. 

Ultimately, Hasina resigned and fled to India, taking many by surprise but allowing the protesters to have the change they wanted, which included putting humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus in place as the chief adviser to the interim government ahead of fresh elections in November.

Student protesters plan to create a new party to contest the elections and end the two-party monopoly that has burdened the country for almost two decades, Reuters reported. The student groups at the center of the protest want to talk with citizens across the country before deciding on their platform and will finalize their decision in a month. 

‘We don’t have any other plan that could break the binary without forming a party,’ Tamid Chowdhury, one of the student coordinators at the center of the push to oust Hasina, told reporters. 

Another student said that the ‘spirit of the movement was to create a new Bangladesh, one where no fascist or autocrat can return.’ 

‘To ensure that, we need structural reforms, which will definitely take some time,’ Nahid Islam, a protester who took up a role in Yunus’s temporary cabinet, explained. 

Reuters contributed to this report. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Keep Reading
By
Politics

Former Afghan prosecutors hunted down, killed by Taliban 3 years after US withdrawal

The three years following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan have been a deadly game of cat and mouse for employees and allies of U.S. and NATO forces left behind under Taliban rule. Among the de facto government’s targets are thousands of Afghan prosecutors trained by U.S. personnel to enforce the rule of law and prosecute terrorists.

As the Taliban rapidly gained Afghan territory in the summer of 2021, they released convicted terrorists from government jails across the country. The Taliban had been conducting deadly attacks to target Afghan prosecutors for years before taking over Kabul on Aug. 15. The newly-released prisoners were out for revenge against the prosecutors who put them behind bars.

Joe Maida IV was a former Texas prosecutor who supported the Afghan legal system’s growth inside the country between 2006 and 2013 and worked on Afghan policy at U.S. Special Operations Command and with Special Operations and Combating Terrorism at the Pentagon through 2019. He told Fox News Digital that ‘The Taliban continues to hunt down individuals who supported the Afghan government.’ In addition to military personnel, Maida says the Taliban ‘are seeking out terrorism prosecutors for retribution. They’re doing that by sending special teams to the provinces, but then also writing letters to the mosques to identify these individuals, who then disappear.’

Saeed, who spoke to Fox News Digital on condition that he is identified by a pseudonym, is the executive director of the Afghan Prosecutors Association and was a prosecutor in the Attorney General’s Office of Afghanistan. Saeed provided an Excel file the Afghan Prosecutors Association has compiled containing details about 32 prosecutors and their family members who have been killed since July 5, 2021. 

Victims’ manners of death are gruesome. Most were shot, either in a public location or at their homes. Some were killed by anonymous gunmen, while others were specifically murdered by the Taliban. Two prosecutors were killed by improvised explosive devices. Others were arrested and tortured. Three victims were women. More than a third of the entries included photos of the victim after their death. 

Saeed said that an additional 100 prosecutors have been injured since the U.S. withdrawal, and another 50 are believed to be ‘locked up in Taliban prisons and their fate is unknown.’ 

About 1,000 of the 3,800 prosecutors believed to be in practice prior to August 2021 have fled to European countries, Saeed estimates. He said that 1,500 who remain stuck in Afghanistan are ‘in need of urgent assistance.’ Saeed believes that about 500 prosecutors fled to Pakistan, Tajikistan and Iran, where they live in ‘a state of despair’ amid harassment and forced deportations. 

Legal professionals who protected women’s rights have also seen their efforts made null and void under the Taliban. One of thousands of hidden Afghan legal professionals, Amina spoke to Fox News Digital on condition that she was referred to by a pseudonym. Amina said she was ‘on the verge of qualifying to be a lawyer’ when the government collapsed. In 2021, Amina was working as an assistant lawyer in the Kabul courts, focusing on domestic violence cases.

According to a report by the United States Institute for Peace, divorce is no longer a legal option for women in Afghanistan, with the Taliban issuing a blanket revocation of all divorce decrees granted by the prior Afghan government in March 2023. With domestic abuse shelters closed since August 2021, women experiencing violence at the hands of their husbands are now taken to Taliban jails, where some Afghan women have reportedly been raped and even murdered by the Taliban.

Amina says she has felt personally responsible for not ‘doing enough to educate women about human rights.’ She now devotes herself to educating Afghan women online and providing mental health consultations for Afghans in crisis. ‘This is the time that my people need me,’ she explained. 

Many U.S.-based attorneys have joined the fight to support Afghan prosecutors, including East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore. As a member of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA), Moore has been supporting prosecutors in their fight to remain alive in Afghanistan. Moore told Fox News Digital that the APA is in touch with ‘hundreds of prosecutors who are now begging for help.’ He estimates that about 20% of Afghan prosecutors and judges were women and are at special risk inside their country. 

Unlike military translators and employees of American institutions, prosecutors did not serve the U.S. directly and are not eligible for special immigrant visas. Legislative efforts to extend access to the SIV program, including the Afghan Adjustment Act and Afghan Allies Protection Act, have not gained passage in Congress. 

Some legislators have expressed concern about the vetting process for Afghan refugees. Moore explained that prosecutors ‘have been vetted repeatedly’ and have ‘passed background checks that most American citizens could never pass,’ which informs his opinion that ‘there’s little to fear and much to be gained by helping these people resettle in the United States.’ 

To help prosecutors reach safety three years after the U.S. withdrawal, Moore said the APA is raising funds to move the 1,500 prosecutors living in hiding in Afghanistan to safe third countries. The estimated cost will be around $15 million, about $10,000 per family.

There is some hope that government support for prosecutors is forthcoming. Moore said that the State Department ‘has been more receptive to including former prosecutors, especially women,’ in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Moore reported that the APA has been working on getting prosecutors’ applications ready for review. 

A State Department spokesperson did not respond to questions about whether it is working to include prosecutors in the USRAP. The spokesperson said that the State Department ‘remain[s] focused on honoring our promises to these allies and are grateful to the Americans from all walks of life who have helped us welcome more than 160,000 Afghans to communities across the United States during the past three years.’ 

Saeed was referred to the Priority-1 program within the USRAP three months ago and recently received his notification of acceptance. He now awaits his interview and at least 12–18 months of processing. 

Saeed desperately longs for peace. In 2020, he was targeted for death by Talibs released from prison. After the Taliban searched his home in December 2022, he fled to Pakistan to protect himself and his family. Saeed says he still experiences ‘a hopeless and problematic situation’ inside Pakistan, where the cost of living is high and refugees cannot work or seek education for their children. 

Threats of deportation continue to loom, with Pakistan deporting thousands of Afghan refugees illegally into the country in November 2023. Though Afghans with letters verifying they have a pending application for a pathway to safety in the U.S. were meant to be protected from deportation, a source who asked to remain anonymous told Fox News Digital that in July, Pakistan deported some Afghans with USRAP referrals. A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that they ‘have no comment on this specific incident.’ 

The issue of aiding prosecutors is personal for Kevin Rardin, a career prosecutor with the Memphis District Attorney’s office, who was also a Judge Advocate in the Army Reserves. As the legal advisor to the commander of the U.S. and NATO training mission, Rardin was a mentor for his Afghan counterparts. He told Fox News Digital that ‘the worst days of my deployment came 13 years after I left the country, in August 2021.’ 

‘You don’t have to be a lawyer to understand that this is wrong. You just have to be a decent person with moral principles,’ Rardin continued. ‘When I was in Afghanistan, Afghans protected me. They kept me out of trouble, they introduced me to their culture. They accepted me, I ate with them. They included me. And now we just up and left. You can’t call yourself a human being and do that.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Keep Reading
By
Politics

Kamala Harris on the hot seat for ‘hiding’ from American people and her ‘Kamalanomics’ plan to increase taxes

Resounding calls for Vice President Kamala Harris to conduct press interviews are mounting after the Democratic presidential nominee unveiled her economic plan days before heading to her party’s national convention in Chicago.

Tim Murtaugh, senior adviser to the Trump campaign, told Fox News Digital Harris is running the ‘most deceitful campaign in history’ as she ‘hides from the American people.’

Murtaugh added that Harris is following President Biden’s lead in avoiding the media.

‘While she hides from the American people like Joe Biden always does, she’s pretending to hold the opposite position on everything she’s ever stood for as a San Francisco liberal,’ the Republican nominee’s adviser said.

Harris has gone 27 days without giving a formal interview or holding a press conference since Biden dropped out of the race and she quickly rose to take his spot. 

CNN’s Jim Acosta pressed a Harris campaign spokesperson Wednesday on why she had avoided doing a press conference.

Harris communications director Michael Tyler said she and her running mate, Tim Walz, had been ‘busy’ traveling across the country and conducting campaign rallies.

Tyler assured Acosta that Harris would be sitting down for an interview by the end of the month. 

‘Kamalanomics’

On Wednesday, Harris announced that, as president, she would institute a federal price-fixing plan ‘on food and groceries’ in an attempt to stop ‘big corporations’ from taking advantage of consumers.

Harris has framed her economic road map, dubbed by social media pundits as ‘Kamalanomics,’ as an ‘opportunity economy’ plan. Her price control plan includes expanded down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers and providing a $6,000 child tax credit for first-time parents.

Murtaugh told Fox News Digital Harris is choosing not to say that her economic policy supports higher taxes for Americans.

‘On taxes, she’s promised to eliminate the Trump tax cuts, and she voted against the package when it expanded the child tax credit,’ he said. ‘It doesn’t matter what she says today. When she had the choice, she supported higher taxes.

‘No wonder her handlers don’t want her to talk. Every time she does, she causes problems for herself.’

Since Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz joined the Harris ticket as her running mate, Trump gave press conferences at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, and Bedminster, New Jersey, and was part of a lengthy sit-down with tech billionaire and supporter Elon Musk. 

Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, has spoken to reporters multiple times in that period and has appeared on a series of shows.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Keep Reading
By
Politics

Michael Moore’s stark warning to Democrats on election momentum: ‘It’s ours to blow’

It’s the Democrats’ race to lose. 

That’s the view of liberal activist and filmmaker Michael Moore who has warned Democrats not to fumble their chances of beating former President Trump in November’s presidential election now that Vice President Kamala Harris heads the ticket.

The outspoken and influential Moore told the Guardian that the party is riding on a wave of optimism following President Biden’s decision to bow out of the race after succumbing to unwavering pressure from powerful left-wing voices, including Moore.

‘This isn’t just a sugar-high or what [recovering] heroin addicts call a pink cloud,’ Moore told the U.K. publication. ‘It was so depressing for so many weeks and then it was instantly not depressing. I am hopeful now but it’s ours to blow – and we have a history of blowing it.’

Moore has been here before. He warned Democrats of Trump beating Hillary Clinton in his 2016 movie ‘in Trumpland’ where he said Trump’s message appealed to disenfranchised voters in Michigan and other battleground states. 

In 2020, he took to X and said that enthusiasm for Trump was ‘off the charts’ and pleaded with Democrats to come together to defeat the incumbent. 

Moore says he’s happy Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate and that he’s confident Harris can inflict serious damage on Trump when they debate next month.

‘Once anybody gets under that thin skin anything can happen,’ Moore says. ‘On live TV? Trump could explode, start talking like a 12-year-old, though no offense to 12-year-olds, or get up and leave.’

‘I understand why people are nervous it might be a sugar high but Harris and Walz are people of substance. They’re being slow and cautious enough to get it together. It’s just been a couple of weeks. They are going to have to tell us what they’re going to do and hopefully come up with the right thing. And there will be mistakes.’

Moore hailed Harris’ decision not to attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to congress last month, signaling a change of direction while urging her to cater to the party’s anti-Israel base.

‘Young people hate war and they’re totally against Biden and his support of the war.’ 

He says Harris needs to tap into ‘affordable housing, student debt, peace and the dying planet.’

Moore says the way to beat Trump is to continue doing ‘weird and cringe until the debate and then nail him.’ 

‘But nail him with irony, satire and a simple way to point out the beyond weird absolute idiocy and insanity of what these two men are talking about. Reach them on a commonsense level so it doesn’t matter if you’re Democrat or Republican.’

Democrats have been labeling the Trump-Vance ticket as ‘weird’ as part of a new line of criticism, while the Harris-Walz campaign have been criticized for their cringeworthy and scripted online videos. 

Last month, Moore joined many on the Left in calling for Biden to drop out of the race and allow Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place.

‘May I ask you, Mr. President, for one more brave and bold action?’ Moore wrote in a Substack article days before Biden withdrew. Weeks earlier, he accused the Democratic Party of committing ‘elder abuse’ by continuing to push President Biden to stay in the race.

‘She will have three and a half months (as they say, ‘an eternity in politics’) to show the American people her smarts, her strengths, her heart,’ he continued. ‘She is fierce, and compassionate, and unstoppable. She will have the power to issue significant executive orders that can provide help to the middle class, protect the environment, restore basic women’s rights.’ 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Keep Reading
By
Business

TikTok and fast-food rivalry fuel Chili’s sales as parent Brinker says turnaround is taking hold

An ad campaign targeting fast-food chains and a TikTok-viral appetizer helped Chili’s same-store sales climb nearly 15% in its latest quarter.

But Kevin Hochman, CEO of parent company Brinker International, told CNBC that the chain’s strong performance is just a sign that customers are finally catching onto the chain’s two-year turnaround.

Shares of Brinker have climbed 53% this year, bringing its market value up to $2.99 billion. However, the stock closed 10.7% lower Wednesday after the company disappointed analysts with weaker-than-expected earnings and a conservative outlook for its fiscal 2025.

Shares were up 7% in afternoon trading on Thursday, rebounding from what BMO Capital Markets called an “overreaction” from investors. KeyBanc Capital Markets also upgraded the stock on Thursday, saying that its quarterly results were misunderstood.

Forecast aside, Chili’s made even StreetAccount’s same-store sales estimates of 8.6% growth look cautious. Its 14.8% same-store sales growth puts it in rare company, joining Chipotle and Wingstop as the few public restaurants reporting strong traffic and same-store sales growth at a time when many consumers are pulling back their spending, putting pressure on the industry. Chili’s casual-dining rivals like Applebee’s, owned by Dine Brands, and Bloomin’ Brands’ Outback Steakhouse, reported same-store sales declines for their latest quarters.

“This is just a whole ’nother step change in the business,” Hochman said. “I think sky’s the limit for this brand.”

About 60% of Chili’s growth in its latest quarter came from its $10.99 Big Smasher meal, according to Hochman. The chain promoted the deal by taking aim at fast-food rivals in TV ads.

“We had tapped into this insight that we were seeing in social media months prior, that customers were upset about where fast-food prices were going,” Hochman said. “The advertising clearly touched a nerve on that.”

Another successful menu item for Chili’s this quarter was its Triple Dipper, which lets diners select three appetizers and dips. The item went viral on TikTok in May. Hochman estimates that the Triple Dipper accounted for about 40% of the chain’s sales growth.

But the popularity of both the Triple Dipper and the Big Smasher created new problems for Chili’s. Its restaurants have to be prepared to serve the influx of customers, many of whom were trying Chili’s for the first time or returning after a long time away. Hochman said Chili’s has been investing in labor for the last two years — from hiring bussers to adding more cooks — but those steps pressured its bottom line this quarter.

Chili’s turnaround has touched more than just its workforce, according to Hochman.

Under his leadership, the company has spent the last two years trying to grow sales profitably. Chili’s has culled its menu, shedding about 22% of items.

Brinker has also ended some less profitable strategies to attract customers. Chili’s doesn’t offer as many coupons as it once did, and Brinker pulled the plug on its Maggiano’s Italian Classics virtual brand.

At the same time, Chili’s also leaned into value ahead of the competition, who are now rolling out their own deals. But Hochman is confident that Chili’s can hold onto its lead — and the new customers that TikTok and TV ads have brought.

“We’ve been advertising our value for almost 18 months, and a lot of folks are coming late to the game, and sometimes it’s more aggressive value, and they just don’t have the awareness that we have, because we’ve been at it a while,” he said.

But as Brinker heads into a new fiscal year, holding onto its new customers could prove to be difficult. A plethora of restaurants, from McDonald’s to Outback Steakhouse, have unveiled value meals meant to appeal to diners seeking discounts. And customers could keep cutting back their restaurant visits to save money. Prices for food away from home, which have risen 4.1% over the last 12 months, have stayed relatively sticky.

For Brinker’s fiscal 2025, which kicked off in July, the company is anticipating earnings per share of $4.35 to $4.75 and revenue growth of 3% to 4.6%. Investors were expecting a stronger outlook for growth, given Chili’s recent success. But Brinker is playing it safe in case the economy worsens.

“It’s important for our team to set goals that we think are achievable,” Hochman said.

″[The economy] certainly has taken a turn for the worse in the past three to four months,” he added.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Keep Reading
By
World News

High-stakes Gaza ceasefire talks are underway. Here’s what to know

Mediators in talks for a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel are making a last-ditch effort this week to revive stalled negotiations, with high-stakes discussions continuing Friday against a backdrop of tension and desperation in the region.

The meeting in Doha started on Thursday and is taking place as the Middle East braces for a possible Iranian attack on Israel, and after the death toll since October in Gaza reached 40,000 people, a bleak figure that underscores 10 months of suffering, malnutrition and despair in the enclave.

The fear of an Iranian attack poses a further serious threat to negotiations that have already appeared tenuous in recent weeks, after a string of Israeli strikes took out Hamas’ former political leader and senior figures in Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

In the meeting, Qatar, Egypt and the United States are expected to present a plan to implement a deal that could bring about a ceasefire in the war in Gaza and free the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas. The deal was proposed by US President Joe Biden in May – but unresolved differences have left the path forward unclear.

Here’s what we know about the status of the talks so far.

What has happened in the talks?

While inconclusive so far, Thursday’s talks marked “a promising start,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said as they got underway in Doha.

On Thursday, the militant group reiterated that there will be no hostage deal or ceasefire agreement without a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

Al Thani, a key mediator in the talks, has updated the Iranian foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani on the ongoing mediation efforts, according to a statement by the Qatari foreign ministry on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said during a Thursday speech to Turkey’s parliament that he would visit Gaza soon, in an effort to help bring about a pause to the “barbaric aggression.”

What is Biden’s proposal?

In May, Biden laid out a three-phase proposal the administration said was submitted by Israel that would pair a release of hostages from Gaza with a “full and complete ceasefire” and a release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

The first phase would last six weeks and include the “withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza” and the “release of a number of hostages, including women, the elderly, the wounded in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners” and the implementation of a temporary truce.

Phase 2 would allow for the “exchange for the release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers” and a permanent end to the fighting.

In Phase 3, a “major reconstruction plan for Gaza would commence and any final remains of hostages who’ve been killed will be returned to their families,” the US president said.

Israel launched its war against Hamas after the group’s cross-border October 7 attacks, in which more than 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities. More than 100 of those hostages remain in Gaza, their families back home pleading for a breakthrough to secure their safe return. It is unclear how many of the original hostages set for release are still alive.

Hamas and Israel have been engaged in tedious negotiations for months. Officials from Qatar and Egypt act as intermediaries, delivering messages to Israeli and Hamas representatives in shuttle-style diplomacy since representatives from the warring parties are not present at the same location. Technical teams have flown in and out of Doha and Cairo to iron out details for a potential agreement.

What are the key remaining sticking points?

Despite an initial positive reaction from Hamas and Israel, both sides failed to agree on the implementation of the finer details of the proposal including the sequencing of the hostage-prisoner exchange, the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released and how far back Israeli forces should withdraw in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of undermining the deal as far-right members of his ruling coalition threaten to collapse the government despite pressure from the US and families of hostages.

Throughout the war, the prime minister has been caught between two potent political forces: the far-right members of his governing coalition who have been opposed to any suggestion that Israeli troops should leave Gaza, and the relatives of hostages held by Hamas, who have formed a powerful pressure group and have implored Netanyahu to reach a deal.

Netanyahu’s office on Tuesday rejected claims that the prime minister had changed positions, saying his most recent stance “does not introduce extra conditions and certainly does not contradict or undermine” the May proposal. Netanyahu’s office instead accused Hamas of adding unrealistic demands to its position.

The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

What is Hamas’ position on Thursday’s talks?

US officials had said that talks had reached an advanced stage until Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in Tehran in late July in an assassination Iran blamed on Israel. Israel hasn’t confirmed or denied responsibility, but Iran has vowed vengeance.

There were concerns that the assassination would throw a wrench in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas. The militant group replaced Haniyeh with Yahya Sinwar, the hardline Hamas leader in Gaza who is one of Israel’s most wanted men. While Haniyeh, a relative moderate, lived in Qatar and was susceptible to pressure from his host country, Sinwar is believed to be deep underground in a tunnel in Gaza and is hard to reach.

Hamas on Thursday denied it was having difficulty communicating with its leader Sinwar, after one of its top officials Osama Hamdan reportedly acknowledged in an interview with the Associated Press on Tuesday that there are “some difficulties” and delays in communicating with him.

Hamas hasn’t ruled out an agreement with Israel, but said that it won’t engage in further negotiations. It instead asked mediators for a plan to implement a ceasefire proposal put forward by Biden.

Asked why Hamas has been unclear about whether it will attend the ceasefire talks, the source said: “This ambiguity is the movement’s position, which was announced in its latest statement, is intentional and did not come by chance. It comes as a result of Netanyahu’s behavior.”

Why are this week’s talks so important?

This latest round of ceasefire talks were the result of a major diplomatic effort by mediators Qatar, Egypt and the US to push for a last-ditch effort to end the war and free the hostages as Iran prepares to attack Israel.

The urgency of the talks was highlighted by the three mediators, who issued a rare joint statement last week calling on the warring parties to return to negotiations and offered what they called a “final bridge proposal” to overcome the remaining sticking points. The details of that proposal have not been made public.

In parallel, US and Middle East diplomats have been mobilizing to dissuade Iran from launching an attack on Israel that could lead to a wider regional war. Both Iran and the US have said that that lines of communication between them are open through intermediaries.

There have been some indications that Iran may abandon plans to attack Israel if a ceasefire deal is reached. But the country’s mission to the United Nations said on Saturday that Tehran’s retaliation is “totally unrelated to the Gaza ceasefire.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, US officials didn’t believe that Iran has decided on a course of retaliatory action against Israel, according to two US administration officials. Furious diplomatic backchannel efforts are ongoing to try to deter a wide-scale attack and de-escalate the volatile situation, one of those officials said.

The second official added that the Biden administration does believe that the US’s public warnings in recent days have affected Iran’s calculus.

The conversation between Al Thani and Kani was “positive,” a diplomat familiar with the call said.

Biden acknowledged the challenges facing a ceasefire deal Tuesday, telling reporters traveling with him to New Orleans he’s “concerned” about negotiations between the two parties amid the looming threat of an attack on Israel from Iran.

The president rebuffed questions on what he’s doing to pressure Israel and Hamas to come to the bargaining table for proposed ceasefire deal talks Thursday, telling reporters, “If I told you what pressure that I’m putting on it, it wouldn’t be very much pressure would it?”

The lack of clarity on whether the Israeli prime minister will adhere to Biden’s May proposal, the source added, suggests time is running out to strike a deal before an Iranian attack. Qatar and Egypt, the source said, may not have enough influence to push Hamas to compromise.

This story has been updated.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Keep Reading
By