Author: Websupport

TENSION ERUPT OVER EXPANDING REGIONAL AUTONOMY IN ITALY- Fight breaks out in parliament over reforms   Tensions in the lower house of Italy’s Parliament erupted into a fistfight over a controversial government proposal that opponents say will further impoverish the poor south. One opposition politician was taken to hospital. Video of the fight on Wednesday showed politicians converging on Leonardo Donno, of the 5-Star Movement, who opposes the changes after he tried to hand an Italian flag to regional affairs minister Roberto Calderoli. Mr Calderoli, a firebrand politician from the Lega party with northern roots, drafted the contested expansion of regional…

SUNAK, STARMER FACE TELEVISED GRILLING BY UNHAPPY VOTERS- Three weeks till the General Election  Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer were grilled by voters at a televised event, with both challenged over past decisions, pledges, and how they would fund policies if they won a July 4 election. At their latest meeting in television studios before the poll, the two men took turns facing an interviewer and then an audience, whose questions and responses underscored the everyday struggles of many in Britain and the mistrust of politicians. With just over three weeks until an election, Sunak was…

BEHAVIOURAL AND MENTAL DISORDERS SEEN AS THE BIGGEST DRIVER OF UNIVERSAL CREDIT CLAIMS – Applications surged by over 100,000 in 3 months Figures published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have shown that individuals with mental and behavioral disorders are now the bulk of so-called UC health claims. The data showed that from January 2022 to February 2024 there were over 978 thousand claims linked to mental health conditions, which was up from over 874 thousand in the period ending November 2023. The data showed that more working-age women are claiming Universal Credit for health reasons than men,…

UNITED AGREE PERSONAL TERMS WITH BRAITHWAITE – Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite is linked to Manchester United Manchester United have agreed personal terms with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, with the Merseysiders valuing the 21-year-old at at least £80m. United intend to speak to Everton about Branthwaite after the transfer window opens this week. Everton are said to not want to sell Branthwaite, whom many believe was unlucky to miss out on selection for England’s European Championship squad. The club believes it is just a matter of time before Branthwaite becomes an England regular and rates him in the same bracket as…

US AND G7 AGREE $50bn OF FUNDS TO SUPPORT UKRAINE Financed from Frozen Russian Assets The G7 has agreed to a dangerous deal with Ukraine and today has announced that Ukraine will be given a loan of $50bn (£39bn) to help it in the ongoing war with Russia over its eastern provinces and Crimea. Dangerous because it’s financed from interest from seized Russian Assets.  Assets seized by the West after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. President Joe Biden said it was to remind Russia of the continued support available to Ukraine to continue the War with Russia. …

GLOBAL AUDIENCES GROW SUSPICIOUS OF AI-POWERED NEWSROOMS – consumers are wary about AI’s genuinity when it comes to topics such as politics Global concerns about the use of AI in news production and misinformation are growing, a report published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found. The institute’s annual Digital News Report, which this year is based on surveys of nearly 100,000 people across 47 countries, offers a picture of what many news media face. Various newsrooms globally are working to address a new challenge with generative artificial intelligence, as tech giants and startups like Google and…

BRITAIN OVERTAKES FRANCE AS EUROPE’ LARGEST STOCK MARKET – Macron’s decision to call a snap election caused turmoil in markets Britain has overtaken France as Europe’s largest stock exchange after Emmanuel Macron’s decision to call a snap election resulted in market turmoil. Stocks in France are now worth £2.47 trillion, falling behind Britain’s markets, which are jointly worth £2.51 trillion according to data compiled. The CAC 40 stock index in Paris had its worst week since 2002 after the surprise parliamentary elections were called in France, erasing all its gains this year after hitting record highs just a month earlier.…

ENGLAND BEGIN EURO 2024 WITH 1-0 VICTORY – Jude Bellingham scores for England as they beat Serbia 1-0 England’s rearguard effort in a nervy second half as they held on to beat Serbia 1-0 will hold the team in good stead as they look to go far at Euro 2024, coach Gareth Southgate said. England, runners-up in the 2020 edition and seeking to finally win a trophy befitting their vast array of attacking talent, started brilliantly and led after 13 minutes through midfielder Jude Bellingham’s superb header. But they created few chances and allowed Serbia, who were much improved after…

RAC CALLS ON REGULATORS TO TAKE ACTION ON HIGH PETROL AND DIESEL PRICES – Retailers accused of keeping prices high for ‘no good reason’ Fuel retailers have been accused of using the “distraction” of the upcoming general election in July to keep petrol and diesel prices “persistently high”. The RAC said the cost of filling up at the pumps was “far higher” than would normally be expected as wholesale costs had fallen since the end of April. The average price of a litre of petrol across the UK is currently 146.3p, which is “5p more expensive than it should be”,…

NIGEL FARAGE RESONATES WITH UK SEASIDE VOTERS -Britain’s July 4 election will be Farage’s eighth attempt to win a seat in parliament Nigel Farage’s brand of politics has found a home in the English seaside town of Clacton-on-Sea, where voters described the right-wing party leader as a straight talker who, unlike other candidates, understands their problems and wants to solve them. Britain’s July 4 election will be Farage’s eighth attempt to win a seat in parliament after the anti-EU, anti-immigration campaigner entered the race proclaiming his aim to supplant the ruling Conservatives as the main party of the right. Farage…