Ukraine's spring counteroffensive against Russian-backed separatist rebels in the eastern Donbass region has yet to start due to weather and training, as well as a shortage of Western-supplied weapons, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. While the delay has given Ukraine time to stockpile weapons and train more troops, White House officials say the offensive is imminent. Russia has more than 200,000 troops along the 1,000 km battle line, with Ukraine targeting their forward lines with artillery fire in anticipation of a counteroffensive.
Politicians from nine blue states in the US including California, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, and Washington have come together to devise ways to prevent the wealthy leaving for lower tax states. The answer? A “tax cartel”. Coordinating their bills, proposals include wealth taxes on those with net worth of over $50m from California Assembly Bill 259 and an 8.2% billionaires’ tax for New York Senate Bill 1570. If successful, this is aimed at stopping a mass exodus of investors from high-tax states, but will unlikely succeed. With the former Director of the National Economic Council, Gary Cohn, dismissing such measures as a "stupid" concept, other states that have implemented wealth taxes, which this cartel has based their approach on, have faced opposition or financial problems. It is also unlikely that the states will have the jurisdiction to follow through with its plans without a constitutional challenge.
Wildfire ravages 3,700 acres in western Spain, 550 people evacuated
Reuters
23-05-19 09:22
A wildfire has destroyed up to 3,700 acres of the Extremadura region of western Spain, forcing 550 people from their homes and resulting in the evacuation of residents in Cadalso, Descargamaría and Robledillo de Gata. Around 250 emergency workers are tackling the blaze, which began near Pinofranqueado. Windy weather patterns have reportedly complicated the firefighting process. The fire was started deliberately according to local authorities, who say that the unusually dry winter could lead 2016 to be a record year for wildfires in Spain.
Siemens Energy is reportedly close to selling Siemens Gamesa's 32% stake in wind turbine tower manufacturer Windar Renovables to UK fund Bridgepoint for $700m. The acquisition comes amid problems facing the wind turbine component manufacturing industry, including competition, pandemic-related supply chain issues and rising steel and aluminium prices. Siemens Energy is also expected to buy the remaining 2% of Siemens Gamesa it does not currently own, while Bridgepoint is yet to comment on the acquisition of Windar Renovables.
Tottenham Hotspur is hopeful of finding a head coach quickly after Luis Enrique and Feyenoord's Arne Slot emerged as the frontrunners for the position. Enrique, who is out of work, has been contacted by the club, but Slot is tied to Feyenoord by contract, although he would find the promise of double his annual salary attractive. To hire the Dutchman, Tottenham would need to pay £6m ($7.7m) in compensation to Feyenoord and guarantee him control over the first-team squad. Meanwhile, Spurs' chairman Daniel Levy is also looking for a new sporting director.
A British man, Robert Campbell, has been found dead in Lanzarote, after disappearing on his first ever holiday abroad. The 44-year-old was due to travel back to Scotland, however, he became unwell and did not fly with his friend Paddy, and later disappeared. The family is now launching an appeal to raise funds of up to £10,000 ($13,000) to cover funeral expenses. His family wrote on the GoFundMe appeal: "We are desperate to get him home ASAP so I am writing this to reach out from my heart to help us bring him home".
Jaguar Land Rover is reportedly close to agreeing a deal to construct a flagship electric vehicle battery factory at the Gravity business park in Somerset, which could create up to 9,000 jobs. The deal is believed to be contingent on incentives offered by chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Treasury to parent company Tata. About 20 gigafactories are being built around the world in order to meet the expected surge in demand for electric car batteries as countries move away from fossil fuels.
Western companies are selling their Russian assets or handing them over to local managers, as a part of a broader corporate exodus from Russia, to comply with sanctions over the Ukraine conflict and deal with threats from the Kremlin. These moves are concerning, considering the fact that Russian companies and institutions are buying up these prize assets at bargain prices. Companies in the automotive, energy, food and beverages, banking, mining, and other sectors, including Carlsberg and Societe Generale, have secured deals to sell their businesses in Russia.
Southern European countries such as Italy, Spain, Greece and Portugal are set to reap the economic benefits of tourism once more as travel restrictions ease and record early bookings are made for luxury holidays. The travel and holiday industry in Italy, for example, accounted for 100 billion euros ($110 billion), or 6.2% of output, before the pandemic, and Greece's GDP includes one-fifth generated by tourism. However, the sector is not without challenges such as strikes and extreme weather.
UK ministers have offered a package of subsidies and incentives, including higher energy subsidies, as they seek to convince Tata Motors to build a flagship battery factory in the UK for Jaguar Land Rover’s electric cars, according to people close to the discussions. A decision on whether to build the plant in Somerset or in Spain is believed to be imminent. The company has requested £500m ($618m) of financial assistance from the UK government. British ministers have prioritised the establishment of the plant to support the country’s car industry as it struggles to switch to electric vehicle production ahead of Brexit. High UK energy prices compared with European Union rivals have been the main issue for Tata despite its historic links with the UK.
Toronto FC is missing nine players through injury or suspension, and another three questionable, for its Major League Soccer game against Austin FC. The total includes five starters: Matthew Hedges, Sigurd Rosted, Michael Bradley, Jonathan Osorio and Mark-Anthony Kaye. The team, which has won just two of its last 19 MLS outings, has also lost defenders Shane O'Neill and Adama Diomande, midfielder Victor Vazquez and forwards Deandre Kerr and Jordan Perruza, to injury, and Jahkeele Marshall Rutty is suspended. TFC has yet to win on the road in six tries this season and Austin is coached by former US international Josh Wolff, who started his playing career under Toronto coach Bob Bradley at the Chicago Fire. Wolff led Austin to second place in the Western Conference last year with a 25-point improvement over its debut campaign.
Hundreds evacuated as suspected intentional wildfire hits western Spain
The Toronto Star
23-05-19 15:23
A wildfire fanned by strong winds has led to the evacuation of some 700 people from four small towns in western Spain. The blaze has razed almost 20,000 acres and officials suspect it was started intentionally as two separate blazes erupted almost simultaneously. The hilly area, known as Las Hurdes, is west of Madrid, and was difficult to extinguish due to 60 kph (40 mph) winds and numerous pine trees, described as “cans of gasoline, flame throwers”. Spain experienced its worst fires in 2022 since 1994, with 267,000 hectares burned. Last month's record temperatures have led to an emergency drought in the country.
Jade Jagger and her boyfriend, Anthony Hinkson, have been convicted of charges related to resisting arrest, wounding and assault, following an altercation with police in Ibiza. Hinkson was given a four-month sentence for assault, but as sentences of less than two years are normally suspended in Spain for first-time offenders, is not expected to serve time. Jagger was fined about £1,250 for a crime of serious resistance and a minor crime of wounding; she must also compensate ￡800 to her victim.
Bongonda scores 2 as Cadiz moves away from Liga relegation zone
The Toronto Star
23-05-19 21:14
Cadiz beat Valladolid 2-0 in a Spanish football match between teams attempting to avoid relegation from La Liga. Forward Théo Bongonda scored both goals for Cadiz, with the second coming from a penalty following a foul on Anthony Lozano. Cadiz is now 14th in the La Liga standings, four points ahead of 18th-placed Getafe. Valladolid is 17th, one point ahead of Getafe ahead of a match against relegated club Elche.
K9 Jets launched its pet-friendly private jet in the UK in March, which allows pets to travel alongside their owners on flights carrying 10 people and 10 pets. After it was announced, all 15 scheduled flights between April and September of 2023 sold out within four weeks, which means the company made more than £800,000 in sales. The service seems to appeal to middle-class families who would rather pay £7,000 per seat than separate from a beloved animal on a commercial flight. The current spots are from Farnborough, Hampshire, to transatlantic and selected European destinations.
Hernan Losada, head coach of CF Montreal, has said that the team plans to remain positive despite losing 3-0 against FC Cincinnati. On Saturday, they will play against the New York Red Bulls on the road. Red Bulls pose an intense competition with their defensive play. Montreal has not been playing well on the road, winning only two in eight games played. Losada is focused on improving his team's goal creation on the road. Montreal is currently positioned 12th in the standings, with the Red Bulls just one point below 14th place.
The trend for converting historical or unusual buildings into hotels, which have saved many architecturally important structures from demolition, is highlighted by a piece carried by the Sydney Morning Herald. Among the 10 properties featured are the Crawford Hotel, Denver, originally the Denver Union train station, which features 600 pieces of art, many with a travel theme, curated by local art group NINE dot ARTS; the Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, Turkey, the city’s last Ottoman palace which was seriously damaged by fire in 1910 and which took six years to restore; and Mamula Island Hotel, Montenegro, the site of a former Austro-Hungarian fortress used as a concentration camp and prison under fire by both sides during WW2, and which is a new 32-room hotel backed by firm Orascom Development.
Labour’s proposal to give employees the “right to disconnect” out of hours in order to prevent burnout is a mistake, writes Camilla Cavendish in the Financial Times. Cavendish believes that the boundaries between our home and work lives have become obscured because so many of us have opted to work from home. Further, she suggests that rules, such as those in France that have introduced the right, will be flouted and suggests that companies are already adjusting on their own accord, hence such legislation is unnecessary. Instead, Labour should focus on more pressing issues, like job insecurity, inflation, and automation.
US President Joe Biden plans to discuss the situation in Ukraine with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Group of Seven (G7) summit this weekend. Biden plans to focus on the "sacrosanct" issue of sovereignty and territorial integrity in the discussions. Brazil and India have previously played a bridge-building role in relations with Russia and China, however, Lula angered the West last month by asking the US and European allies to stop supplying arms to Ukraine. The Brazilian leader has since toned down his comments. Biden also aims to discuss supply chain resilience, infrastructure investments and dealing with large debt burdens with the G7 summit attendees.
The cost of travel, even budget travel, has surged since the pandemic hit, according to an article in The Telegraph. Airlines, hotels, travel agents and restaurants are scrambling to recover lost revenue, which has pushed up the cost of flights and accommodation across Europe by 23% since 2021, according to Consumer Choice. The Post Office reported that 27 out of 35 cities are charging more for hotels, and car hire fees in seven out of nine popular holiday destinations now cost over £100 more than before the pandemic. However, demand is still high due to people having built up holiday savings during lockdown and the high cost of living lingering in many households. Ground travel, such as train travel, has seen only a 3% rise in prices since 2019 and is expected to become more popular, given the rising cost of flights.
