(today)
„The [judicial overhaul] legislation, which allows the government to act in an extremely unreasonable manner, will harm the security of the State of Israel, will break the trust and violate our consent to continue risking our lives – and will very sadly leave us with no choice but to refrain from volunteering for reserve duty,“ a letter penned by 1,142 reserve officers read. It was sent to Knesset members, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi and IAF Commander Tomer Bar.
(20. April 1997)
Netanyahu told CNN‘s Walter Rodgers he was „glad that the truth came out,“ and said the entire incident was „blown out of proportion and twisted out of shape.“
„It‘s politics,“ he said in an interview shortly after the attorney general released his report. „Of course there were people out to get us. But this is going nowhere. It‘s done. It‘s finished.“
“There already are legislative initiatives meant to increase political involvement in appointing judges, as well as curtailing the Supreme Court’s authority, apparently for the purpose of preventing judicial review of government actions…all I can say is this: first, this is a crude threat, unseen heretofore by the judiciary, meant apparently to influence its rulings; second, these steps are a surefire recipe for critically damaging democracy and for perpetuating corruption.”
These pointed words were written in 2008 by Supreme Court Justice Edmond Levi, who was part of the panel hearing a petition against a decision by then-Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to grant a lenient plea bargain to former President Moshe Katsav.
It was Sadiq Khan’s extension of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) to outer London that won it for the Tories. This diabolical scheme to penalise drivers of older cars and van-owning tradesmen in the outer suburbs has aroused a level of rage which must now be a lesson to all serious contenders in the general election. The ramifications go far beyond this single, apparently anomalous, success for the Conservatives.
Rishi Sunak has been urged to scrap the ban on new petrol and diesel cars scheduled for 2030 after a surprise Tory by-election win was driven by a green scheme revolt.
While the Tories fell to substantial defeats in the Selby and Ainsty and Somerton and Frome polls, their victory in Boris Johnson’s former constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip came after a campaign centred on opposing the expansion of Sadiq Khan’s ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez).
Rishi Sunak has held on to Boris Johnson’s former seat in Uxbridge – a win widely seen as a result of Ulez – despite suffering two painful by-election blows.
If your vehicle doesn‘t meet the ULEZ emission standards and isn‘t exempt, you will be required to pay a £12.50 daily charge to drive inside the zone. This charge can amount to over £4,500 a year, per vehicle.
Sadiq Khan’s controversial Ulez scheme has been described as the deciding factor in the Conservatives holding onto Boris Johnson’s old seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
The cleaner-air levy has faced opposition since it was introduced 2019, with the intention of purifying London’s air. Drivers of more-polluting vehicles are subject to a £12.50 tax in the ultra low emission zone, in a move similar to the congestion charge.
The Tories lost two seats with around 20,000 majorities in by-elections on Thursday in Selby and Ainsty, to Labour, and Somerton and Frome, to the Lib Dems, while narrowly holding on to Boris Johnson’s old Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat amid a challenge from Labour.
Tory Party chairman Greg Hands claimed the 495-vote victory in Uxbridge was the “standout result” while Mr Sunak insisted the next general election was not a “done deal” despite the loss of two safe seats.
The Labour Party candidate Keir Mather has won a record victory over the Conservatives in the Selby and Ainsty by-election, in the highest majority the party has ever overturned in by-election history.
It marks the first time Labour has ever won the seat, with a majority of 4,161 on a 41.9% turnout. One party source said that if Labour won seats requiring a similar swing at a general election, it would win more seats than in 1997.
In Mather’s victory speech, he said he had seen so much “hardship” in the constituency during his campaign, with voters highlighting the cost-of-living squeeze, and pledged to ensure change.
The Conservatives lost to the resurgent Labour Party in Selby and Ainsty, a region in the north of England where the Sunak’s party had enjoyed a commanding majority.
A second seat, Somerton and Frome, was won by the Liberal Democrats, a centrist party.
The Conservatives just managed to hold on to a third seat, Uxbridge and South Ruislip, the constituency held by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson until his resignation from parliament last month, although Labour significantly grew its share of the vote.
As Russia once again bombards and blockades Ukraine‘s Black Sea ports — through which the country exports its vast agricultural produce — Poland and Hungary threaten to cut off the country‘s western exit routes.
„The aggressor is deliberately hitting the port infrastructure – administrative and residential buildings nearby were damaged,“ Kiper said on Telegram.
The Chinese foreign ministry said the shock wave of the explosion „knocked down parts of the walls and window panes of the consulate.“
New excise and value-added taxes are among the proposals that will be included in a supplementary budget to be tabled in parliament for approval, according to a report published on International Monetary Fund’s website following a review of the East African nation’s finances.
„We want to ask ICC to be alert because what is happening are acts of criminality,“ he said.
Kiambu Senator Karungo Wathangwa asked the President to lock the country and deal with the opposition if that is what it will take to restore peace and order in the country.
„If it takes three, four or five days to lock down this country and deal with these people, let it be,“ he said.
Police in Kenya say they have been ordered not to report deaths during a crackdown on protests over tax increases amid the rising cost of living, but an independent watchdog said Thursday that police shot dead at least six people this week and 27 in previous weeks.
It wasn’t clear who issued the unusual order.
Kenyans are preparing for tough times after lawmakers approved tax increases that are unpopular even with supporters of the president, who once vowed to reduce the cost of living. William Ruto’s election win was attributed to his appeal to voters as a fellow “hustler” who rose from a humble background to senior roles in government, including as Jomo Kenyatta’s vice president. (…)
Kenya’s High Court suspended the tax hike pending a legal challenge, but the government raised gas prices anyway.
(17.07.2023)
IMF Deputy Managing Directory Antoinette Sayeh said Monday‘s actions would allow Kenyan authorities to continue to address such challenges, sustain market confidence, promote growth, and advance ongoing reforms.
She said approval of Kenya‘s fiscal 2023-2024 budget and the 2023 Finance Act were „crucial steps“ needed to support ongoing consolidation efforts and reduce debt vulnerabilities while protecting social and development expenditures.