Lake, like every other Arizona Republican who challenged election results and lost, made baseless claims from the get-go and is now facing the consequences. It’s bad enough to sow doubt about election integrity via social media, but making such egregious accusations through the legal system is indefensible. Hopefully, the court will side with Hobbs and show election deniers what happens when you lie about results.
Aside from potential sanctions against Lake, the real news here is that this was a sham trial from the beginning. Despite Lake providing evidence of malfunctioning vote tabulators at a significant portion of majority-Republican polling sites, Thompson chalked it up to coincidence. Two days wasn’t nearly enough time to thoroughly investigate the matter, but it seems the court had no desire to conduct an effective probe.
The bloody conflict in Tigray is finally coming to an end, as both sides are showing a real commitment to a lasting peace in the region. While Eritrean forces remain a sticking point, each side has indicated that they will be upholding their ends of the bargain Tigray will decommission their weapons, and Ethiopia will allow aid and utilities to return to the area. The return of Ethiopian Airlines is another good faith showing of trust in the peace process — there is now real promise of an end to this conflict.
Ethiopia is trying to impose a "victor's peace" on the people of Tigray — their lackadaisical attitude towards foreign forces in the region are indicative of this, and only increase the risk of an outbreak of violence. Ethiopian Airlines has been accused of violating international law by providing logistical support to the Ethiopian military, and there is no chance of a fair and transparent peace process if Ethiopia does not properly address their misconduct during the war and peace process.
There's a 51% chance that Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed will experience a significant leadership disruption before 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Several powerful Russians have died violently or under mysterious circumstances since the start of Russia's assault on Ukraine. It's unsurprising then that Vladimir Putin, a former lieutenant colonel of the KGB and ex-head of the FSB, is famous for assassinating anyone who steps out of line. Pavel Antov is just the latest in a long list of Putin critics who have paid the price for speaking out against the Kremlin's maniacal leader.
It's impossible to know if the string of unnatural deaths is merely a coincidence or conspiracy, since many oligarchs met their untimely ends outside Russia. While the circumstances of Pavel Antov's death are still being investigated, let's not forget he was a successful businessman, lawmaker, and philanthropist — his death is a tragic loss for Russia.
There is an 18% chance that a coup or regime change will take place in Russia in 2022 or 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Not only have nurses and frontline workers borne the brunt of the pandemic, they now face a government trying to nickel-and-dime them out of a necessary and well-deserved pay increase, all while dealing with record-high inflation and a buckling healthcare system. Public sector wages have stagnated profoundly under conservative governance. The unacceptable exploitation of essential workers needs to stop.
Unions must face the fact that every day they stay on the picket line puts the lives of countless Britons at risk. The government is scrambling to find solutions to the economic crisis sparked by COVID and inflation, as well as the market destabilization induced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The unions are simply not playing fair by ignoring the reality of current economic circumstances — this is a safety issue.
This invasion is an egregious violation of international law. Putin's ultimate aim is to restore the Soviet empire, even if it takes massive bloodshed and false pretexts such as calling the 2014 Ukrainian revolution after an election a "coup". This unprovoked attack is the latest chapter in Putin's Orwellian attempt to rewrite history.
NATO and the US have ignored Russia's security concerns by breaking its promise not to expand eastward in return for German reunification. These concerns are legitimate and taking them seriously would have avoided the Ukraine tragedy.
There's a 28% chance that Ukraine will have de facto control of at least 90% of the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts by January 1, 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Novak Djokovic is one of the greatest tennis players of all time and has won the Australian Open a record number of times. The tournament and title would carry less weight if he's not there to compete. He should never have been treated as a pariah by the Australian government.
At the time, Djokovic was treated appropriately by the Australian government given the circumstances and his actions. Times are different now, but no one should feel sorry about the past.
After a series of blunders, natural disasters and a once-in-a-century pandemic, the last three Australian Opens have been overshadowed by events off the tennis court. With Djokovic's return, hopefully this year it's the tennis that'll do the talking.
A rare unanimous condemnation by the UNSC may be adequate to demonstrate that the Taliban has gone too far in its crackdown on women's rights, amounting to unjustifiable human rights violations against the Afghan people as it silences and excludes half of its population — a move that not only slows human rights and domestic economic progress but hinders humanitarian efforts in the country.
The suspension of women's employment in foreign NGOs is a matter of Afghanistan's internal affairs that has been decided by its own leaders, so foreign powers should refrain from meddling in it. And, given that Afghanistan is a sovereign state, all those institutions willing to operate within the country must comply with its rules and regulations instead of making threats.
There's a 25% chance that the US will recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Hong Kong should turn its focus to its financial future. Many deals that were on the table before the pandemic have been halted while waiting for the reopening. Investors may remain leery at first, but it's up to Hong Kong and the mainland to plan properly and prudently for a successful and fruitful reopening.
COVID restrictions weren't the only crackdown that took place in Hong Kong throughout the pandemic. Other issues continued to brew amid Beijing's new national security law and subsequent authoritarian crackdown. Hong Kong may claim order has been restored but international tensions have increased, which could prove troublesome for a city trying to rebound from COVID.
The EU’s energy relationship with Russia is at the center of its economic struggles, and leaders have been slow to acknowledge this. European economies are on the brink of recession, and skyrocketing gas prices as a result of reckless Western sanctions will likely be the breaking point. Aid packages such as Spain's latest one is merely a band-aid to cover the gaping hole that is Europe's energy crisis.
Europe is indeed facing an energy crisis — an unavoidable reality as Putin uses oil to bully his way through the war. While it's impossible to avoid the economic repercussions of this, aid packages will go a long way to alleviating the pain. This latest plan will provide much-needed relief for thousands of Spaniards.
The government’s primary duty is to protect and put its citizens first. While Biden and other Democrats want to dismantle any border protection that still exists, Republican border states that face the brunt force of the nation's immigration crisis can't allow open borders without a fight. The US has millions of people entering illegally every year, and it isn't sustainable.
Title 42 was placed into effect as a short-term public health measure to protect against COVID, not as immigration law. That it's still in place reveals what it really is a racist Trump-era policy that denies migrants the right to seek asylum under the guise of public health. Thousands of legitimate asylum seekers are suffering; it's time this inhumane measure ends.