
FRENCH lawmakers on Wednesday voted to oust the government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier after just three months in office, a historic move which hurled the country further into political uncertainty. For the first time in over sixty years, the National Assembly lower house toppled the incumbent government, approving a no-confidence motion that had been proposed by the hard left but which crucially was backed by the far-right headed by Marine Le Pen. Barnier’s rapid ejection from office comes after snap parliamentary elections this summer which resulted in a hung parliament with no party having an overall majority and the far-right holding the key to the government’s survival. President Emmanuel Macron now has the difficult task of picking a viable successor with over two years of his presidential term left. He is to address the nation at 1900 GMT on Thursday, the Elysee said. Earlier in the day, Macron is to receive Barnier at 0900 GMT who will submit the resignation of the government. The National Assembly debated a motion brought by the hard left in a standoff over next year’s austerity budget, after the prime minister on Monday forced through a social security financing bill without a vote. With the support of the far-right, a majority of 331 MPs in the 577-member chamber voted to oust the government. ‘Calling on Macron to go’ Macron flew back into Paris just ahead of the vote after wrapping up his three-day state visit to Saudi Arabia, an apparent world away from the domestic crisis. He strolled earlier on Wednesday through the desert sands of the Al-Ula oasis, an iconic tourist project of the kingdom, marvelling at ancient landmarks. After landing, he headed direct to the Elysee Palace. “We are now calling on Macron to go,” Mathilde Panot, the head of the parliamentary faction of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party told reporters, urging “early presidential elections” to solve the deepening political crisis. But taking care not to crow over the fall of the government, Le Pen said in a television interview that her party - once a new premier is appointed - “would let them work” and help create a “budget that is acceptable for everyone”. Laurent Wauquiez, the head of right-wing deputies in parliament, said the far-right and hard-left bore the responsibility for a no-confidence vote that would “plunge the country into instability”. ‘His failure’ Macron on Tuesday had rejected calls to resign, saying such a scenario amounted to “political fiction”. With markets nervous and France bracing for public-sector strikes against the threat of cutbacks, action that will shut schools and hit air and rail traffic, there is a growing sense of crisis. The unions have called for civil servants, including teachers and air traffic controllers, to strike on Thursday over separate cost-cutting measures proposed by their respective ministries this autumn. Meanwhile, Macron is due to host a major international event on Saturday, with the reopening of the Notre-Dame cathedral after the 2019 fire, with guests including Donald Trump on his first foreign trip since he was elected to be the next US president. “His failure,” was left-wing daily Liberation ’s front-page headline, with a picture of Macron, whose term runs until 2027. ‘Shattered strategy’ In an editorial, Le Monde said Le Pen’s move risked upsetting her own supporters, such as retirees and business leaders, by toppling the government. “In the space of a few minutes, she shattered the strategy of normalisation she had consistently pursued,” the daily said. Some observers have suggested that Le Pen, 56, is seeking to bring down Macron before his term ends by ousting Barnier. Le Pen is embroiled in a high-profile embezzlement trial. If found guilty in March, she could be blocked from participating in France’s next presidential election. But if Macron stepped down soon, an election would have to be called within a month, potentially ahead of the verdict in her trial. Candidates for the post of premier are few, but loyalist Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu and Macron’s centrist ally Francois Bayrou are possible contenders. On the left, Macron could turn to former Socialist premier and interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve, a contender in September. Macron is minded to appoint the new premier rapidly, several sources told AFP. It was the first successful no-confidence vote since a defeat for Georges Pompidou’s government in 1962, when Charles de Gaulle was president. The lifespan of Barnier’s government is also the shortest of any administration since the Fifth Republic began in 1958. AFPAbandoned mines in the US pose dangers to people and property when land gives way
Walt Disney Co. stock outperforms competitors despite losses on the day
Wolves defender Rayan Ait-Nouri is on the radar of Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, The Sun reports. The new United boss is aware of his side’s need to strengthen at left-back. And Ait-Nouri could prove a strong option, with the Algerian’s contract expiring in 2026 and the 23-year-old likely to vastly improve his salary should he move to Old Trafford. The Sun adds : “Amorim has made signing a left-back a priority. He wants to boost his options given Luke Shaw’s injury record. “Shaw could also eventually move into the back-three once the former Sporting Lisbon manager fully instils his 3-4-3 system at Old Trafford. “Ait-Nouri, an attacking wing-back, ticks all of the boxes for Amorim and the style of the football he likes to play. “Ait-Nouri is currently on a deal of £33,000-a-week at Wolves and the Red Devils would be able to tempt him with a substantial uplift in his wages.” Manchester United have progressed with their interest in Sporting winger Geovany Quenda and are preparing a bid of €60m plus bonuses, A Bola in Portugal reports. United have already been linked with the 17-year-old, before Amorim swapped Sporting for United. But now with Amorim’s move to United strengthening this possibility, the Red Devils are ready to start negotiations for Quenda. A Bola adds : “Sporting are open to negotiations, but with the certainty of keeping the winger until the end of a season, in which they are fighting for a feat they have not achieved in 70 years, a second straight championship that Ruben Amorim promised at the end of the previous season.” Manchester City have two midfielders in their sights as they look to save their season by spending in the January transfer window, the Daily Mail reports. Both Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi and Atalanta’s Ederson are being eyed with Rodri’s absence due to injury leading to a five-game losing run, the worst of Pep Guardiola’s managerial career. The Mail writes : “When that shuffling of the pack starts is up to the champions. There is nothing stopping them dipping into the January market if sporting director Txiki Begiristain and Guardiola believe the right player is available. And even though the problems during this worrying run of form are deeper than purely missing Rodri, a central midfielder would be top of City's list. “Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi – the man who excelled for Spain in the European Championship final against England after replacing an injured Rodri at half time - has been mentioned, along with Ederson at Atalanta. At 25, neither are old nor raw. “City have been fixated on somebody who can operate in the holding role but also capable of progressing forward; both of those mentioned appear capable of that. Ederson carries slightly more threat going forward, whereas Zubimendi is basically a younger Rodri.”Colts defense picks up the pace as offense continues searching for answers to red zone woes
U.S. prosecutors have announced their decision to drop two federal criminal cases against Donald Trump, citing long-standing Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president. This move marks a consequential victory for Trump, who recently won the election and is poised to reclaim the presidency in January. The policy, originating in the 1970s, suggests prosecuting a sitting president would contradict the Constitution by disrupting executive functions. While the courts will still need to approve the prosecutors' requests, the Justice Department has indicated these cases must be closed before Trump's return to the White House. Despite this development, prosecutors have signaled their intention to pursue charges against two Trump associates related to the classified documents case. Trump's representation has hailed this outcome as a major legal triumph, painting Trump's election success as both a political and legal victory. (With inputs from agencies.)MENLO PARK, Calif. , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Meta Platforms, Inc. (Nasdaq: META) board of directors today declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.50 per share of the company's outstanding Class A common stock and Class B common stock, payable on December 27, 2024 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 16, 2024 . Contacts Investors: Kenneth Dorell investor@meta.com / investor.fb.com Press: Ryan Moore press@meta.com / about.fb.com/news/ View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/meta-announces-quarterly-cash-dividend-302324358.html SOURCE Meta
NoneBy Mead Gruver and Amy Beth Hanson, The Associated Press A judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to compete in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship opening this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by nine current players against the Mountain West Conference challenging the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans woman volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not commented publicly on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Crews' ruling referred to the athlete as an “alleged transgender” player and noted that no defendant disputed that the San Jose State roster includes a transgender woman player. San Jose State will “continue to support its student-athletes and reject discrimination in all forms,” the university said in a statement, confirming that all its student-athletes are eligible to participate under NCAA and conference rules. “We are gratified that the Court rejected an eleventh-hour attempt to change those rules. Our team looks forward to competing in the Mountain West volleyball tournament this week.” The conference did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The players filed a notice for emergency appeal with the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Crews said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a loss in league standings. He also refused a request to re-seed the tournament without the forfeited losses. The judge said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 -– making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season’s awareness of her reported identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a major election year. Crews' ruling also said injunctions are meant to prevent harm, but in this case, he argued, the harm has already occurred. The games have been forfeited, the tournament has been seeded, the teams have made travel plans and the participants have confirmed they’re playing. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. Colorado State is seeded first and San Jose State, second. The teams split their regular-season matches and both get byes into Friday’s semifinals. The conference tournament winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. San Jose State coach Todd Kress, whose team has not competed in the national tournament since 2001, has said his team has been getting “messages of hate” and that has taken a toll on his players. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official conference standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada’s players stated they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without elaborating. Nevada did not qualify for the conference tournament. The nine current players and others now suing the Mountain West Conference, the California State University Board of Trustees and others include San Jose State senior setter and co-captain Brooke Slusser. The teammate Slusser says is transgender hits the volleyball with more force than others on the team, raising fear during practices of suffering concussions from a head hit, the complaint says. The Independent Council on Women’s Sports is funding a separate lawsuit against the NCAA for allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports. Both lawsuits claim the landmark 1972 federal antidiscrimination law known as Title IX prohibits transgender women in women’s sports. Title IX prohibits sexual discrimination in federally funded education; Slusser is a plaintiff in both lawsuits. Several circuit courts have used a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to conclude that discriminating against someone based on their transgender status or sexual orientation is sex-based discrimination, Crews wrote. That means case law does not prove the “likelihood of success” needed to grant an injunction. An NCAA policy that subjects transgender participation to the rules of sports governing bodies took effect this academic year. USA Volleyball says a trans woman must suppress testosterone for 12 months before competing. The NCAA has not flagged any issues with San Jose State. The Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the team cancellations, citing fairness in women’s sports. President-elect Donald Trump likewise has spoken out against allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports. Crews was a magistrate judge in Colorado’s U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him as a federal judge in January. Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Hanson from Helena, Montana. More in Nation-World News Iconic guitar maker trying to put a stop to Trump-themed offering Dow hits another record as stocks continue to rise This American corporation is cutting 2,000 employees five days before Christmas
Colts defense picks up the pace as offense continues searching for answers to red zone woes